Song Yi

Chapter 405
King Yong sat on the ground in horror, moved back a little bit, his face was distorted, and screamed in horror: "Brother Huang! Brother Huang, please spare me!"

The black and white impermanence on the surface of the lake also floated over, and countless ghosts with severed heads and broken feet appeared around them in a trance, groaning miserably.

"Give me back my life...!" Song Shenzong floated in the air, raising his hands.

King Yong waved his hands wildly: "Forgive me! Forgive my brother! I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please forgive me..."

"Say... why did you use cinnabar to kill me...?" Song Shenzong's voice floated.

"This is all..., this is all the idea of ​​Master Sima..., I don't want to do this, brother, please forgive me!"

King Yong's eyes widened in horror. He sat on the ground and kept backing away. Unexpectedly, he had already retreated to the edge of the ridge.

The sound of hula kept ringing, and countless corpses appeared all around, stretching out their white hands to grab King Yong.Grab his hand, pull his hair, bite his shoulder.

King Yong was so frightened that his liver and gallbladder were torn apart: "Brother Huang! I was wrong! I shouldn't have poisoned you, please spare me...!"

Song Shenzong, who was floating in the air, screamed sharply: "Say...! Why did you kill me?"

"Damn me! They are all coveting the emperor's throne, that's why..., I should be damned, this is all Sima Tianshi's idea!"

"How did you kill me? Say...!"

"Tianshi Sima told me, saying... that he knows in alchemy that eating too much cinnabar will kill you... but others will not know, let me add cinnabar to your medicine, it can kill you without anyone noticing... ..., I deserve to die, I deserve to die, I listened to his words, please forgive my brother! Ah...!"

King Yong kept rolling in the mud, choking and coughing, screaming in horror, his voice was horrific, his face was scratched with bloodstains, his face was distorted due to panic, his hands kept pushing and beating, following The ghost that bit and scratched him resisted the struggle.

The ghosts dragged him towards the center of the lake. He was fighting and screaming, thrashing about in terror, and kept moving towards the center of the lake.

Seeing the lake overflowing his waist, a person on the hill by the lake shouted loudly: "Hurry up and save people!"

Immediately, the surrounding lights were suddenly bright, as bright as day, and several guards with gas masks on their heads and faces ran over, picked up King Yong from the mud, climbed up the ridge, and ran quickly to the foot of the hill not far away.

King Yong was covered in mud, he was so frightened that he was incontinent, feces and urine flowed all over the ground, and the stench was suffocating. The guards who supported him were wearing gas masks. Those guards at the foot of the hill But there was no way to avoid the stench, so he could only frown but didn't dare to pinch his nose to fan the wind.

At this time, three people walked slowly down from the hill, they were the Empress Dowager, Du Wenhao and Eunuch Jiao.

The empress dowager looked at the muddy King Yong who was kneeling on the ground in panic and looked at the sky and shouted for help, sighed lightly, and said, "Hao'er, I never imagined that you would poison your brother to death for the sake of the throne!"

At this time, "Song Shenzong" by the lake came over, took off the gas mask on his face, took off the yellow robe on his body, bowed dejectedly and said: "Mother, my child did not expect that he would murder the emperor. It's really..., alas!"

It turned out that Du Wenhao was directing a play in the haunted house he bought at this time.At the bottom of the pond in the house, around three o'clock every night, a gas that can give people hallucinations of horror will emerge, permeating the low-lying area near the pond.Playing Song Shenzong is the king of Cao, Zhao Kai, with a gas mask on his mouth and nose.The black and white impermanence on the lake, and the paper figurines manipulated by ropes, all became real people when King Yong inhaled the hallucinogenic gas and produced terrifying hallucinations.

Especially Song Shenzong, who was pretended by Cao Wang, was very similar to his brothers. Even though he wore a gas mask to cover his mouth and nose, his eyes and figure made the hallucinating King Yong still have illusions, thinking that what he saw was Song Shenzong. ghost.Frightened, he admitted the fact that Song Shenzong was murdered with cinnabar.

Du Wenhao asked the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, who is Sima Tianshi that Prince Yong mentioned just now?"

The empress dowager said bitterly: "It's a diner in his house. The Taoist who burns alchemy and refines mercury - Xiao Jiaozi, you immediately take someone to arrest this damn Sima Taoist, throw him into the prison, and execute him at noon tomorrow. !"

Eunuch Jiao hurriedly agreed, and hurried away with the Ouchi guards.

Cao Wang saw King Yong's house kneeling on the ground looking at the sky and kowtowing, crying for mercy, he couldn't bear it, he went to hug him and said: "Brother Emperor, it's okay, the queen mother will forgive your crimes. Ouch...!"

King Yong was completely frightened and went crazy.Treating King Cao as a ghost, thinking that he was coming to murder him, he went mad in fright, opened his mouth, and was biting King Cao's shoulder.Immediately, King Yong got up, stumbled and ran out.

"Stop him quickly!" The Empress Dowager exclaimed.

All the guards rushed up and grabbed King Yong, and carried him back.King Yong struggled desperately, kicked and beat him, and hissed, "Brother Huang, spare me! I was wrong! I shouldn't have murdered you! Go away! You ghosts, don't come here! Go away...!"

The empress dowager looked at her son weeping, and said to Du Wenhao, "What's wrong with Hao'er? Show him quickly."

Du Wenhao laughed secretly in his stomach. Seeing that King Yong was frightened and went crazy, he was really happy. He wished for it, and he would not be able to treat him.On the surface, he hurriedly agreed, walked over, grabbed King Yong's hand to check his pulse, and after a while, changed another hand.

King Yong kept struggling and shouted for mercy.Fortunately, there were guards on both sides, so Du Wenhao successfully completed his pulse diagnosis, shook his head and came back, saying: "Queen Mother, Lord Yong is extremely frightened, causing the qi mechanism to sink and reverse, yin and yang imbalance, qi stagnation and blood stasis, blinding the heart orifices. He disturbed the gods and became insane. Prince Yong’s liver and gallbladder were damaged due to extreme panic. The madness is very severe. I’m afraid it’s not easy to cure. When I go back, I’ll give you a prescription and let King Yong calmly recuperate. It’s unknown if it will get better.”

The empress dowager wept and said: "There is no need to punish him. He committed treason and committed a crime. He should be executed for the crime. Let him be buried with the emperor!"

Du Wenhao was overjoyed, this was the best result.

When King Cao heard this, he was shocked. Although he was bitten by King Yong, his brotherly love was deep, and he knelt down and kowtowed to the Empress Dowager: "Mother, please, bypass the emperor! He is still crazy now. He has already been punished, so let him live!"

The empress dowager looked at the crazy second son who kept begging for mercy, she weeping and nodded slightly, looking at Du Wenhao: "What do you mean?"

Of course Du Wenhao hoped to cut the weeds and get rid of the roots, how could he leave this scourge, if he didn't listen to the insanity healed that day, it would not be fun to settle accounts with himself instead.But he couldn't say that, he cupped his hands quickly and said: "The Empress Dowager is Yao and Shun among the daughters, she has learned from thousands of miles, and she must have a clear judgment, and my humble minister dare not speak nonsense."

"Yao and Shun, the daughter..., alas!" The Empress Dowager said with tears, "What are you talking about, Yao and Shun, the daughter of a child like this! What a crime..., alas! Xu'er passed away, and now Hao'er has to be buried with him. For the rest of Aijia's life, who can I trust..."

Cao Wang said inappropriately at the wrong time: "My mother is sad, isn't there still me?"

The empress dowager flicked her robe sleeves and shouted angrily, "Get out!"

King Cao was so frightened that he knelt and crawled aside.I dare not say anything.

The empress dowager said to Du Wenhao with tears in her eyes: "Du Aiqing, can you help the Ai family with an idea?"

Du Wenhao understood that the empress dowager still did not want her second son to die.This is also understandable. Looking at it like this, she will not let her second son inherit the throne. As long as King Yong is not the emperor and keeps going crazy, it doesn't matter whether he dies or not.However, it must be made known to everyone, kick the ball to the bosses, and let them say the best.They should come up with a very suitable solution.

So Du Wenhao bowed and said: "Queen Mother, this matter is of great importance. I really don't dare to speak rashly. Why don't you ask the ministers to discuss and decide on the successor emperor by the way? It's not long before dawn. We must discuss it as soon as possible to avoid misunderstandings." In the early morning, the funeral will be sent out."

The empress dowager thought for a while, nodded and said: "That's the only way, just do as you want, but you also participate!"

"Empress Dowager, this humble official is only the commander of the three government offices, not a minister. According to the rules, you can't..."

"The rules are all set by people. The Ai family wants you to participate, so you can participate. Then the Ai family will have something to say."

Du Wenhao hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes, I obey the order!"

----------
The side hall of Funing Palace.

It was almost five o'clock, and the surrounding area was still pitch black. Since the funeral was about to be held at dawn, the important officials of the court would help the spirit to go to the emperor's mausoleum. They almost didn't sleep, and they all waited in the mourning hall.So the empress dowager ordered all the seven ministers to come to the side hall next to Funing Palace.

The seven magistrates are: Prime Minister Zuo (Shang Shu Zuo Pu She and Men Xia Shi Lang Xing Shi Zhong Shi), You Prime Minister (Shang Shu You Pu She and Zhong Shu Shi Lang Xing Zhong Shu Ling Shi) Cai Que, Men Xia Shi Lang Zhang Dun, Shangshu Zuocheng Cai Bian, Shangshu Youcheng Huang Lu, Privy Council Envoy (knowing the Privy Council Affairs) Han Zhen, Privy Council Deputy Envoy (knowing the Privy Council Affairs) Lin Xi.

The seven people entered the side hall, only to see an embroidered curtain hanging from the middle and back of the side hall.On the soft couch behind the curtain, sat the Empress Dowager dressed in filial piety.

On the left side in front of the embroidered curtain, stood a half-grown child, who was the Sixth Prince Zhao Xu, King of Yan'an County.On the left side of the side hall, standing are Yong Wang Zhao Hao and Cao Wang Zhao Kai.Cao Wang looked gloomy, but that Yong Wang was terrified, shrank behind Cao Wang, looked up from time to time with stealthy eyes, and kept muttering to himself.

On the right side of the main hall, there is a person standing, but it is the new commander of the Sanya capital, the imperial doctor Du Wenhao.

The seven prime ministers were all surprised when they saw this, and the Prime Minister Wang Gui showed a smile, feeling very proud in his heart.He nodded slightly at Du Wenhao, and then bowed to the empress dowager first.The other six people also bowed to salute.

The Empress Dowager said: "All my loves, there is one thing that the Ai family wants to inform all the ministers."

When the seven people heard this, they knew that this must be related to the succession of the future emperor, and all of them pricked up their ears, not even daring to speak out.

The empress dowager paused, and then slowly said: "The sudden death of the emperor is very suspicious. The Aijia ordered Yuyi Du to investigate secretly. It has been found out that Zhao Hao, the king of Yong, was instigated by Sima Taoist, a diner under the door, and took the medicine taken by the emperor. The medicine was poisoned, causing the emperor to be poisoned and die!"

It was like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, and the seven of them were stunned. They couldn't help but look at Du Wenhao together.

The Empress Dowager continued: "There are all evidences for this matter. Sima Taoist, the first offender, has been arrested and confessed to this. Yong Wang Zhao Hao..., he became mad because of fear of crime, and now he is insane, and the medicine is dead..."

As soon as he said this, Yong Wang Zhao Hao seemed to be making a footnote for the empress dowager's words. He screamed, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the sky, begging unceasingly: "Brother Emperor! Please forgive me! I was wrong! I am not I should have poisoned you! Forgive me..." There was a sound of thud, and blood dripped from his forehead.

The seven were at a loss for what to do.

The Empress Dowager looked at King Yong and kowtowed madly, and she didn't let anyone stop her, as if she didn't see it, she prolonged her tone: "King Yong committed such a serious crime, which cannot be pardoned! I'm sorry for my family, let him be buried for the emperor .What do you think of me?"

Wang Gui didn't know what happened like this, so he was stunned for a while. He was old and slow to react. As the chief assistant, he should have been the first to speak, but he was so stupid that he didn't speak, and the other six people couldn't. I was the first to express my opinion, but this is not unusual, and I can't do things according to the usual rules. Cai Que coughed lightly, stepped forward and said: "Empress Dowager, I think that King Yong and the emperor have a deep brotherhood. It is understandable that he would commit such a serious crime, but now that he is insane, he has been condemned by God, so he can be exempted from being buried, and he is also ordered to be the envoy of the Emperor's Mausoleum forever, to guard Yongyu Mausoleum, and to accompany the emperor's brother."

The empress dowager nodded slightly, her gloomy complexion softened a little, the six officials had achieved this position, they were all good people, how could it not be seen that the empress dowager was quite satisfied with this disposition, and hurriedly agreed.

Such a result is really wonderful, Du Wenhao's stomach is full of joy, this is good, let this kid guard his emperor's brother's grave for the rest of his life, and he will never have a chance to trouble himself again.Great idea!
He couldn't help but glanced at Cai Que, thinking that this old boy was very accurate in guessing what he wanted, and he was so cruel that King Yong treated him well, but he actually made trouble, knowing that the Empress Dowager would not really be willing to let King Yong be buried , I have to show them a show, not only following the empress dowager's wish to avoid being buried, but also coming up with such an idea, which is much better than Liu Sanqianli and the like, and it is handled very properly.

The Empress Dowager saw that Prime Minister Zuo Wang Gui had been silent, so she asked indifferently: "Wang Aiqing, what do you think of what you said?"

Wang Gui was just stunned for a moment, but at this moment he had already thought about it, bowed and said: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the old minister seconded what Cai Zaipeng said. In addition, the old minister thought that in order to take into account the face of the royal family, it is not appropriate to spread this matter to the outside world. It should not be included in the official history, just say to the outside world that King Yong misses his brother and voluntarily enters the mausoleum to accompany him."

The empress dowager finally showed a satisfied smile, glanced at the crowd, and said slowly: "Wang Aiqing's proposal, what do you think?"

At this moment, the lights in the side hall were as bright as day, and the empress dowager saw the satisfied expression in her eyes, and bowed together and said: "I wait for the second opinion!"

"Okay, since that's the case, this matter is settled." The empress dowager paused, and then said: "In less than an hour, it will be the time of Fayin's funeral. The person who leads the royal family must be determined. Ai Qing, do you have any suggestions?"

King Yong, who is currently competing for the throne, was convicted of murdering the emperor, and will always be with the emperor's mausoleum. He has already gone mad. He can't let a lunatic be the emperor. He naturally withdrew from the competition for the emperor. The only choice is the sixth prince, Zhao Xu, the king of Yan'an County. up.The empress dowager asked knowingly, obviously wanting to use the mouths of the people to say the result, which is even more magnanimous and majestic.

Although this result is a lice on the bald man's head, it is obvious, but the size is also a credit to support, but this time Cai is really embarrassed to preemptively, after all, he originally advocated that King Yong inherit the great treasure. It's not good if it's too late, it's better to let Wang Gui speak first, and then second himself.

Yes, he peeked at Wang Gui, but Wang Gui didn't respond like a piece of wood.Wang Gui also had his own calculations. He knew that the succession of the sixth prince to the throne was a foregone conclusion. At this time, the credit for supporting the decision had already been made clear. Even if he didn't say it at this time, it would not affect it. It is more appropriate to say that the original two factions are unified in this way.

Seeing that Wang Gui did not express his opinion, and the Empress Dowager was staring at him, Cai had no choice but to cup his hands and said: "I think that the king of Yan'an County is the eldest son of the emperor. According to the ancestor's precept, he should inherit the throne as the heir emperor!" The emperor is the leader. After the matter is over, I beg the empress dowager to follow the emulation of the empress empress empress Liu, and listen to the regime and deal with important military affairs." After saying that, she lifted her robe and fell to her knees and kowtowed.

Cai Que originally firmly supported King Yong's succession and was the leader of this faction, but now he turned his back and supported the sixth prince's succession, and Han Zhen and others on his side naturally followed suit.They expressed their opinions one after another, and also knelt down and kowtowed.

This result made Wang Gui very happy, and he threw up his robe and knelt down: "Only the king of Yanping County can inherit the great treasures of the world. This is in accordance with the destiny; the queen mother, as the empress dowager, listens to the government behind the curtain, and the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe!"

Zhao Xu is the grandson of the Empress Dowager Gao Taotao. When Zhao Xu became the emperor, Gao Taotao was naturally promoted from the Empress Dowager to the Empress Dowager.

The empress dowager glanced at Du Wenhao, saw him smiling and nodding to herself, and then slowly said: "Since all the lovers agree that the king of Yan'an County should inherit the throne, the Ai family also agrees. Then it's decided. The new emperor When will the enthronement ceremony be held, please tell me."

Wang Gui bowed and said: "The late emperor was in mourning for more than a month, and the state affairs have been temporarily taken care of by the old ministers and Prime Minister Cai, the two princes. All the ministers are cautious and dare not make rash decisions. Since a new emperor has been appointed, it is better to take the throne as soon as possible. According to what the old ministers saw, they imitated the emperors after Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty, ascended the throne before the coffin, and begged the Queen Mother to listen to the government immediately."

The Empress Dowager said: "Could it be a little hasty to ascend the throne today?"

"Please rest assured, Empress Dowager. For the rest of this month, the ministers have already prepared all the applications for the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, and we are just waiting for the Empress Dowager to make a decision."

"Hmm..., you are very thoughtful, dear friends, what do you mean?"

Cai Que and others also bowed and said: "The ministers and others seconded the prime minister's remonstrance."

The Empress Dowager nodded slowly with satisfaction: "Even so, according to what the Qing family said, I will take the throne before the coffin. As for listening to the government..., Ai's family is very quiet, but Xu'er is still young, and the Qings are still young." I strongly advised the Ai family to listen to the government, and the Ai family could not take time off, so they followed the instructions of the ministers and had the same power to listen to the government. When the emperor becomes an adult in the future, the Ai family will return the government to him."

The new emperor confirmed that everyone was happy, but the smiles of Cai Que and others were rather forced.

(End of this chapter)