After the soul-stirring dragon meeting, the Daming City has been under martial law for several months. Everyone who enters and leaves the city is strictly interrogated, and the folks are not allowed to hold any celebrations or gatherings. , all gave up because they were shrouded in the cloud of pill thieves.
Recently, Daming City finally came back to life, because of the thirty-eighth birthday of Ninghua Emperor Zong Minghe.
In the cold winter with heavy snowfall, both inside and outside the Wuji Palace were enthusiastic and busy, preparing the birthday banquet for Emperor Zong. In fact, birthdays in previous years have never been so mobilizing. Emperor Zong set an example for the world and should not be extravagant and wasteful for birthdays, but this time is unusual. First, this birthday banquet can rekindle the vitality of the famous city in the past. Announce a big event at a birthday party.
It is widely rumored in the world of cultivating immortals and among the people that Emperor Zong is going to establish a reserve.
Accompanied by such rumors, outsiders are waiting to watch the fun, but people in Wuji Palace are panicked.
Zong Tianzi wanted to make the youngest son the crown prince, but most people didn't believe it. For thousands of years, the basic rule of establishing a prince is that there is a heir to establish a heir, and there is no heir to establish an elder. It was the turn of the youngest prince who was not yet an adult, not to mention that the relatives behind the first son were Wuliang faction.
It was heard that the emperor and the empress had a big quarrel one day, and the empress severely punished a few palace people who spread the rumors. Everyone in the Wuji Palace was in danger, lest they would hurt the empress.
Although Zong Ziheng did not believe that Zong Minghe would make Xiao Jiu the crown prince, but there were too many rumors, and he was unavoidably anxious. If this matter came true, it would definitely turn into a nightmare. The empress Li Xiangtong, who won't let it go, Lu Zhaofeng, who is hiding in the dark and ready to move, and Xu Zhinan, who is waiting for an opportunity to attack, may do irreversible things. When that day comes, the higher Xiao Jiu stands, the harder he falls. heavier.
He had to secretly plan a way to escape from Daming, just in case.
But Zong Zixiao didn't know that the disaster was approaching, so he came to play with his elder brother as usual with wine and sword in hand.
In the orchid garden, the two brothers nestled on the bamboo roof of the gazebo, enjoying the snowflakes, and drank a cup of Xiaoyao Niang.
Zong Ziheng opened Zong Zixiao's hand to reach for the flagon with the scabbard: "It's agreed that you can only drink this cup."
"What's wrong with drinking one more drink, it's such a cold day."
"You are too young to drink alcohol."
"I'm not young anymore." Zong Zixiao jumped up from the ground and stretched his slender limbs: "In a year, I'll be an adult. Look, I'm going to be taller than Big Brother."
Zong Ziheng sneered: "Dream."
"Hmph, you haven't grown up in the past two years. I'm growing up every day. It won't be a matter of time before I'm taller than you."
"Who said I'm not growing up?"
"You just don't grow any longer. If you don't believe me, stand up and compare with me." Zong Zixiao smiled and stretched out his hand to his elder brother.
Zong Ziheng didn't move: "You still think that you can grow up so fast every year. When I was your age, I was not shorter than you. Can I be taller than my elder brother? Don't brag, let's talk about growing up first."
"Then if I am taller than elder brother, what should I do?" Zong Zixiao lay down again, but this time he lay next to Zong Ziheng.
"So what."
"Call me good brother instead."
Zong Ziheng laughed and scolded: "It's not big or small, get out of here."
Zong Zixiao hugged his elder brother's waist with a smile, straightened his body and insisted on comparing: "Look, am I about to be almost like you? My feet are here, and I align with you. Look, brother."
Zong Ziheng stared at Zong Zixiao's face close at hand, and those shining, deep and beautiful eyes, and felt a sudden pain in his heart. He opened his mouth, and finally only showed a dry smile.
"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Zong Zixiao noticed something.
"It's nothing, I just feel..." Zong Ziheng sighed, "You really grow up so fast, you're already this big."
Zong Zixiao said with a smile: "Brother is well raised."
Zong Ziheng's eyes were extremely gentle: "You are picky and willful, raising you breaks my heart."
Zong Zixiao moved closer, with his nostrils flaring, secretly sniffing the orchid fragrance on his elder brother, his eyes carried a lot of emotions: "I won't let my elder brother worry about it anymore, when I grow up, I will take care of my elder brother. "
Zong Ziheng chuckled.
"What I said is true, I will definitely be able to take care of elder brother in the future." Zong Zixiao said in a vowed tone, "I will give you whatever elder brother wants."
"Okay, with your words, big brother didn't love you for nothing." Zong Ziheng rubbed his brother's head with a smile.
Zongzi Xiao paused, looked around, and suddenly leaned into Zongzi Heng's ear, and whispered, "Brother, do you think Father will really make me the crown prince?"
Zong Ziheng froze all over, he pressed Zong Zixiao's shoulder, and said seriously: "Where did you hear that?"
"It's been rumored in the palace."
"It's been rumored in the palace, and no one dares to pass it on to you. Who did you listen to?" After Zong Ziheng asked this sentence, he got the answer from Zong Zixiao's face.
It's Chu Yingruo.
Did Chu Yingruo know something
In the past few months, every time Zong Ziheng went to Bailu Pavilion to look for Zong Zixiao, he would secretly leave his curse mark, so that if a stranger with high spiritual pressure entered Bailu Pavilion, he would be able to detect it. He thought that sooner or later Lu Zhaofeng would not be able to resist looking for Chu Yingruo, but unfortunately so far he has not found anything.
If Chu Ying hadn't secretly contacted Lu Zhaofeng, did she get some kind of promise from Zong Minghe
Zongzi Heng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He had a premonition that if Zongzi Xiao was really crowned prince, there would definitely be a bloodbath.
Zong Zixiao observed Zong Ziheng's unpredictable expression, and said cautiously: "Brother, if I really become the prince, will you be unhappy?"
Zong Ziheng was taken aback for a moment, not knowing how to answer.
This silence made the eldest son feel uneasy: "Brother, you have to trust me, no matter what, there will be no change between you and me."
Zong Ziheng let out a heavy breath: "Xiao Jiu, listen to me, the elder brother doesn't want you to be the prince, but it's not because of jealousy, but because he doesn't want you to get involved in right and wrong. In front of you, you don't even have the power to protect yourself, you are still young, and you can't imagine what you are going to face, this is definitely not a good thing, do you understand?"
Zong Zixiao said solemnly: "Brother, I understand, and my mother also said that if I am really a crown prince, our situation will be extremely dangerous. But..." He pursed his lips, his pupils were deep, dark and unpredictable, "Elder brother also knows that second brother is not suitable to be a human emperor."
The eldest son Heng reprimanded: "What is this called? Why can't your second brother be the emperor? Does the emperor have to be the most advanced? Father's aptitude is not the best of his generation."
"But it is precisely because of my father's mediocre aptitude that my daimyo Zong family will decline."
Zong Ziheng said sharply: "Do you know what you are talking about!"
Zong Zixiao comforted: "Brother, don't be angry, just treat me like a child, but you also know that I am telling the truth."
Zong Ziheng pushed Zong Zixiao away, only to feel a splitting headache.
"Brother." Zong Zixiao took Zong Ziheng's hand, "For so many years, the empress has always been on top of us, making things difficult for our mother and concubine. You are so good, but you have never been taken seriously. Aren't you unwilling? Our two brothers are the future of the Daimyo Zongshi."
"...What do you know." Zong Ziheng said hoarsely, "You don't know anything."
"Brother..."
"If you really treat me as a big brother, don't say such things in the future."
"Oh." Zong Zixiao hugged Zong Ziheng from behind, rubbed his cheek against his back, and said in a coquettish and loving tone, "If you don't like it, I'll just say so."
Although Zong Ziheng felt that the tone was a little weird, he didn't take it to heart.
"I only do what elder brother likes." Zong Zixiao secretly tightened his arms around elder brother's waist, and many half-understood fantasies appeared in his mind, "I want elder brother to be happy forever."
Zong Ziheng turned around: "Xiao Jiu, you said before that you are willing to leave Wuji Palace with your eldest brother and live a free life, do you still think so now?"
"Well, as long as you're with Big Brother, you can go anywhere."
Zong Ziheng caressed his younger brother's cheek, and said in his heart, I hope you are telling the truth, because that day may not be far away—
At Zong Minghe's birthday banquet, envoys from various immortal sects from all over the world sent congratulatory gifts one by one. From the preciousness of the congratulatory gifts, we can fully see the subtle attitudes among the various factions. For example, the Wuyun Sect offered a top-notch elixir to show their loyalty. On the other hand, the Huaying Sect and the Wuliang Sect are much more perfunctory than in previous years. .
Zong Minghe accepted all of them without changing his expression. He was radiant and full of spring breeze, which made everyone secretly guess. It is really not something to be happy to say that Li Chu's affairs are big, and the forces in the middle are checks and balances. What is the reason for this brow brow
Halfway through the birthday banquet, Zong Minghe raised his glass to toast, cleared his throat, and said loudly: "Today, you are invited to gather in Wuji Palace. There is another important event that needs to be known to the world."
Everyone tensed their nerves and waited almost holding their breath.
Zong Minghe said: "Bring my sword."
The servant presented Zong Minghe's saber with both hands. Zong Minghe took the hilt of the sword in his hand and unsheathed it gracefully. He looked at the shining silver sword, and his bright and clean cold blade reflected his ambitious eyes.
"Since Emperor Shuanghua, the daimyo Zong family has been in full three generations, and no monk has ever broken through the eighth heaven of Zongxuan sword." Zong Minghe glanced at everyone present, "For more than 30 years, this seat has worked hard and solitary, Fearing not to disappoint our ancestors, finally..."
Everyone was in an uproar.
Ninghua Emperor Zong Minghe broke through the eighth heaven of Zongxuan Sword!
Zong Ziheng stared blankly at his father, only to feel that the words in his ears and the people in front of him became blurred and pale, only the pool of blood he found in his uncle's retreat place became scarletr in his sight.