Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 556: Unexpected Incident

The white snow fell on the red walls of Fengzao Palace, and the red and white colors blended together in an unusual harmony.

With the arrival of Emperor Zhizheng, Fengzao Palace became more popular. There were more laughs in the palace.

"This Fengzao Palace hasn't been so lively for a long time." The Queen said with emotion. Because of the Emperor's arrival, Concubine Liu, Concubine De, Concubine Liang, Concubine Yi and others all came to visit under various pretexts.

Emperor Zhizheng, thinking that it had been a long time since he had visited the empress at Fengzao Palace, did not speak much to the concubines. He waved them away after they paid their respects.

Even so, it took quite a while.

The Queen did not complain at all, she just said angrily: "Your Majesty, the sisters are too enthusiastic and the food is getting cold."

"It's okay. I will stay at Fengzao Palace tonight. Just heat up the dishes and let the queen and I enjoy them slowly."

When the queen's attendants and maids heard that the emperor would stay at Fengzao Palace tonight, they were all surprised and went to prepare quickly. The queen's eyes also lit up, but she quickly covered them up.

"Then let them heat up the food first." The Queen picked up the wine pot on the table and said, "Your Majesty and I will drink a few glasses of wine to warm our bodies. This wine is always warm."

Emperor Zhizheng nodded, watching the wine glass in front of him being filled by the Queen, looking at her well-maintained slender jade fingers, and then raised his head to look at the Queen's face...

Even though she had taken good care of herself, there were still some signs of aging on the queen's face.

The queen felt a little embarrassed and stroked her cheek with one hand, "Why does the emperor look at me like this? I can't compare with my sister who has just entered the palace." There was some resentment in her tone.

"The queen has her own merits."

When Empress Shen heard this, she showed a shy girlish expression, "Your Majesty is still so good at coaxing people." Her eyes fell on the wine glass in front of the emperor, and flashed.

He didn't even try to persuade anyone to drink, but just talked to the emperor...

"When I first entered the palace that year, I was both scared and happy. You treated me so gently that my whole heart fell on you..."

Recalling the past, the queen had a sweet smile on her face.

She raised her head and drank the wine in the cup, and continued to recall, "At that time, you had a principal wife and a concubine, and I did not dare to compete for your favor. Although I looked forward to seeing you every day, I still abided by my duty and only hoped to see you from afar every day..."

The memories were full of sweetness and bitterness, and Emperor Zhizheng felt uncomfortable hearing them.

Thinking that he owed the Queen some of these days, his eyes became gentler as he looked at her.

Seeing the queen drinking one cup after another, and not trying to persuade him, he felt more and more happy thinking about the queen's thoughtfulness. He did not say anything, just listened quietly, and then picked up the wine glass and drank it all.

Seeing this, the queen filled his glass again.

Without even looking at him, she continued talking about the past that could never be returned to.

The Emperor Zhizheng drank with her, and the two drank cup after cup. When the table was filled with food and dishes, the two were already a little drunk. The Emperor Zhizheng looked at the Empress with a dazed look.

"...When you appointed me as the queen in front of all the court officials and personally handed me the golden seal and the imperial edict, I was really happy. At that time, I thought that even if you wanted me to die in the future, I would be willing..."

Emperor Zhizheng listened and felt as if the scene of that year was right before his eyes.

"Nonsense, how could I let you die?"

Looking at the empress who was as shy as a young girl and recalling his youth, Emperor Zhizheng reached out and held the empress's soft body in his hand.

The queen looked at the two people's clasped hands, and a hint of bitterness appeared in her eyes.

Her gaze passed through the numerous palace gates, and the numerous palace walls of the inner courtyard of the deep palace seemed to be right in front of her. These palace walls locked her up and also trapped her.

The Queen's eyes suddenly became firm. "Your Majesty, I will drink with you again." She took a few dishes with her chopsticks and put them on the Emperor's plate. "This crystal braised pork is your favorite. I often ask the kitchen to prepare it for you to eat."

Emperor Zhizheng patted the Queen's hand and said, "The Queen is thoughtful."

After drinking one cup of wine after another, Emperor Zhizheng rubbed his aching head. It seemed that the wine in Fengzao Palace was a little stronger today.

Looking at the emperor leaning over the table, Empress Shen stood up and looked down at Emperor Zhizheng coldly. Her eyes were complicated and difficult to read.

After a long while, he finally shouted outside: "Someone come!"

In the private room of the reception building, Duke Dingguo, who was not very drunk, also fell on the round table.

The prince looked at him coldly, reached into his secret pocket, took out a black pill, threw it into his mouth, and swallowed it with a sip of warm water.

He walked towards Duke Dingguo, touched his waist, pulled out the military token commanding the nine camps in the capital, and put it in his arms.

"Someone is coming."

When she heard that Duke Dingguo was invited by the Crown Prince to the Eastern Palace to discuss important matters and that he would be waiting for some important official documents and would stay in the outer courtyard of the Eastern Palace tonight, Lady Dingguo did not think much about it.

He also thoughtfully ordered someone to send Duke Dingguo a change of clothes, and gave a generous reward to the servant who delivered the message.

In the palace, when they heard that the emperor stayed in Fengzao Palace, Concubine Liu and others did not think much about it.

However, some concubines who were impatient complained secretly, saying that the government office had just been sealed and the emperor rarely took a break, not even giving him a day or two to relax.

That night, those who knew about it didn't think much about it, and those who didn't think about it even less.

As a result, when I woke up early on the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, the weather had changed.

The guards at various places in the palace, including the imperial palace gates, were all replaced. They were replaced by soldiers from the nine battalions in the capital. Even the soldiers at the nine gates of the capital and the defenses in various places in the capital were replaced. The generals of the camp outside the capital were also replaced overnight.

The replacement of guards and generals in various parts of the capital was so rapid and fierce, and because the government offices were sealed, no one noticed.

In Huixian Tower, Prince Lu took his two sons to have breakfast as usual.

His youngest son is still a shareholder of Huixianlou, and he can't let people feel that there is no one in charge just because his seventh brother and his wife are not here. In his son's words, he, as a father, has to help stand up for him, otherwise his son's year-end dividend will be reduced.

He also said with certainty that if Huixianlou was defeated by Yingbinlou and other restaurants, his seventh uncle would come back and accuse him of mismanaging the business and might even take back his shares.

Therefore, whenever the King of Lu was free, he would bring his son to Huixianlou for dinner, which also showed the world that Huixianlou also had someone to back it up.

"Today is really strange. On this snowy day, there is a long queue at the palace gate. I thought there was something exciting going on in the city, but when I looked, I found that the city gate was strictly checked, which delayed the entry into the city."

The New Year is almost here, nothing will happen, right?
"Yes, I also waited in line for half an hour. Those who came into the city with loads were searched for a long time, and even the floorboards under the carriages were checked. I said I came to Huixianlou for breakfast, but the gate guard asked me about the time I had been waiting for for an incense stick."

Several people were discussing the time wasted entering the city this morning. Prince Lu was a little surprised when he heard it.

Strict inspection at the city gate? What happened?

"It seems like the soldiers at the city gate have been replaced. I enter the city from Chaoyang Gate every day, but today I found that the people guarding there were all strangers. They all had stern faces, as if others owed them money."

"All government offices are sealed, and the soldiers at the city gates are still guarding the city gates in the wind and snow. They are giving you the cold shoulder."

Several people laughed and complained, not taking it seriously.

But the speaker may not mean anything, but the listener may take it seriously. Prince Lu frowned. The government office was sealed, and the gate guards were replaced at this time?