Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 35: Dan Que (5)
The three of them stopped talking, and their faces were covered with clouds.A crow flitted past the treetops, and a strange cry, ominous, resounded in their hearts.

Inside the meeting hall.

All the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty stood with their heads bowed, and the surroundings were so quiet that even the sound of breathing could not be heard.Liang Emperor Xiao Xi sat on the gilded dragon throne, like a wax figure.The head deacon was holding the letter in his hand, Xiao Xi looked at it steadily, vaguely, the queen stared at it with a pair of sharp eyes, with a cold smile on her face, which seemed to be mocking.

He suddenly felt that the collar of the dragon robe was too tight, and his chest seemed to be tightly held by invisible hands, causing him to suffocate.He took a heavy breath, his voice uncontrollably bleak.

"With regard to the matter of setting up the crown prince, I have listened to the opinions expressed by all the loves. It seems that there is a higher voice for the establishment of the eldest prince as the crown prince... Originally, I was thinking that I was in my prime, and maybe I could have a few more children. According to Chuanshu, Shao'er was born of the Empress, so choosing him to store water is a matter of course. However, in today's situation, the establishment of a reserve is too hasty, and it will not be too late after another two years..."

"Your Majesty!" Ji Mingyou had already figured out Emperor Liang's thoughts thoroughly, and immediately said solemnly, "The crown prince is the foundation of the country, and whether he will be established sooner or later must be determined according to the current situation. If you don’t plan ahead, you may be caught off guard! Today the imperial edict of Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty is here, so the emperor doesn’t have to stick to the rules, just read the edict.”

"It is God's will, please read the imperial edict!" A group of party members echoed.

Seeing that more than half of the ministers were kneeling under Hei Ya, Xiao Xi couldn't hide his panic and was speechless.

Zheng Wei has an irritable personality and can't hold back all the time. He said, "Northern Zhou Emperor Xuan's handwriting? Hmph, you are clearly asking Northern Zhou to put pressure on the emperor to force the emperor to hastily set up a reserve!"

Ji Mingyou sneered: "The back beam is in danger, and the monarch is in danger of unexpected events. The eldest prince is the son of the emperor and the empress. He is a dignified royal family. What do you mean by coercion? I think that under the eldest prince, the fourth prince is the most talented. Xiang, could it be that the Marquis of Huanyi has moved his mind?"

Zheng Wei's eyes widened, and just about to explode, Shen Buyu came out and said slowly: "Master Ji's words are convincing, but he is more confident. There are rumors among the people that the achievements and reputation of the third prince are far superior to that of the eldest prince, and he may coerce the emperor to set up a heir. Instead, even if such rumors are ineffective, they will definitely plant the seeds of internal strife. It's just that the emperor doesn't believe the rumors, and the three princes have not fallen on top of the rumors. Yang Jian, the criminal minister of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, fled to Houliang. Waiting for the third prince to fall into the trap to embarrass the emperor. The emperor loves the third prince back to the outskirts of Jiangling. You couldn't contain your righteous indignation. You were afraid that something would change, so you immediately assassinated him secretly, but in the end it failed. If one trick didn't work, you would use another trick. Fearing that it would take a lot of trouble to set up the heir, I asked Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty to coerce the emperor to make the eldest prince the heir!"

As soon as this remark was made, there was a buzzing discussion in the audience.

Liang Emperor Xiao Xi showed approval, sitting upright, and his spirit was slightly alive.

Ji Mingyou's eyes were serious, and he raised his head straight up, as if provocative: "Master Shen, don't talk nonsense and spitting blood! Who will believe such absurd claims? There must be evidence for everything. Where is the evidence?"

Zheng Wei laughed loudly, and said: "I expect you to deny it, I have already brought the murderer. If the confession is solid, and the evidence of your attempt to murder is established, you should cancel the establishment of the reserve according to law! In other words, the imperial edict of Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty will also be invalidated according to law. , the person who establishes the heir chooses another person. All the princes of the direct line are eligible to participate in the battle for the establishment of the heir.

His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Take the criminals!"

The voices passed over and over again, and after a while, a bloody prisoner was escorted into the hall, where he plopped and knelt on the cold gold-painted floor tiles.

"Your Majesty, here is the confession. The prisoner has already signed it. Please take a look at it." Zheng Wei presented the confession.

After reading it, Xiao Xie nodded in satisfaction: "All the ministers circulated it. Anyone who participated in the murder of the third prince can be listed as a witness. I will not blame the past, and spare his family."

The confession was circulated among the ministers, and everyone looked different.The atmosphere was gloomy and suffocating, and someone unconsciously turned their eyes to Ji Mingyou.

Ji Mingyou was calm, standing in front of the prisoner, his eyes flickered brightly when he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Did you write this confession? Is everything true?" He questioned.

The prisoner raised his head awkwardly, his eyes were dull, and he moaned: "It was written by the grassroots, and every sentence is... yes..."

Zheng Wei sneered at Ji Mingyou and said, "Master Ji, don't play tricks. The prisoner has already confessed, and the confession is true. Do you still want to scare him?"

Perhaps it was because of the sudden hearing of the word "Master Ji", the prisoner woke up with a start, and suddenly hissed: "The grass people are wronged! The grass people have been tortured! My lord, I beg you to make the decision for the grass people!"

After yelling, a mouthful of blood spurted out from the prisoner's mouth and splashed all over the ground.All the ministers shouted and dispersed, but saw the prisoner twitching on the ground, turned over, and then stopped moving.

The servant pointed to the past, and reported back: "Report to the emperor, the prisoner has no breath and is dead."

Shocked, Xiao Xi suddenly stood up.Shen Buyu and Zheng Wei looked at each other, and Zheng Wei couldn't help shouting: "How did you die?"

Shen Buyu felt bad, and his face darkened.

There was another burst of discussion in the hall.

At this time, Ji Mingyou raised his eyebrows and sneered speciously: "Master Zheng, is this the so-called torture?" My lord, Mr. Zheng, Ji is loyal to the emperor, but he only supported the eldest prince as heir, and everyone holds different political opinions, why do you use this dirty trick to make things difficult for me?"

Zheng Wei looked extremely embarrassed, panting heavily and did not speak.Many people stood up to fight for Ji Mingyou, and condemned Zheng Wei and others for their despicable behavior.

Ji Mingyou took the opportunity to step forward, cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, since ancient times, there have been great treacherous and evil people, and villains are most likely to be born under a strong ruler. Thinking about Zheng Wei, there will be a false case in the Palace of the Son of Heaven, which is clearly a deception! Your Majesty, you have to beware of the traitors behind you, this kind of person, the dog will not eat the rest!"

Then, pretending to squeeze out a few drops of old tears.

"The emperor's lesson!" All the party members immediately echoed in unison.

The lights in the hall are shining brightly, and the shadows are faint.

Xiao Xi's face was pale, and his whole body was stiff and tense.His eyes stopped on the handwriting, and he closed his eyes in despair.

"Read the edict..."

The edict was slowly being opened, and the expressions of the ministers kneeling on the ground were completely different.One side burst into a smug smile, and the other side was like a rout of armored soldiers, with ashen faces.

Shen Buyu couldn't help but raised his head, and he saw Xiao Xi sitting on the dragon seat numbly, and the crown made of pearls on his head was shaking silently, sparse like rain.He secretly let out a long sigh and lowered his head.

There seemed to be chaotic footsteps outside, getting closer.The sound of footsteps went up the steps quickly, followed by a shout from afar: "The latest decree of Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty has arrived—"

Everyone raised their heads, and there was slight confusion in the crowd, but order was quickly restored.

The head deacon closed the handbook that had just been opened, stepped down the imperial steps, and took the new letter with both hands.

Every word in the decree, like steel nails jumping up, hit everyone's hearts one by one.

"Over the past few months, I have observed Xiao Kui's hard work, the law has gained a lot, and he has corrected his mistakes, and his mind has been accomplished. Today's declaration: restore the post-Liang Dynasty prince's title, and live in the palace. It will be for Xiao Kui in the spring of next year. The ceremony of removing the crown. The matter of establishing the reserve will be determined separately, and the selection will be made according to the law of Houliang. In October of the second year of Xuandi, Renxu"

The lingering sound was still there, and the whole hall was silent, as if everyone had fallen asleep.Xiao Xi sat still in astonishment, until the chief executive who finished reading out the decree reminded softly: "Your Majesty, the situation has changed, and His Highness the Third Highness can come back! The previous decree is invalid, and there will be no crown prince!"

As soon as the manager's words fell, Xiao Xi seemed to have drunk the soul-returning soup, and stood up against the desk, and announced loudly: "This new edict, in addition to sending it to the harem according to the formula, will be copied and sent to Quan Houliang, and it will be processed immediately!"

"Long live my emperor!"

The self-conscious ministers cheered, and their spirits were lifted immediately, leaving Ji Mingyou and others with livid faces at a loss, and hurriedly dispersed back to their respective official offices.

Shen Buyu seemed to have just emerged from a hot steamer, his whole body was sweating profusely and hot.He walked to the white jade railing and the cold wind blew before he woke up. It turned out that what he experienced just now was not a dream.He waved his arms and finally let out a long breath.

A few flying horses left the palace, exited the city gate, and quickly entered the courtyard in the suburbs.

Xiao Kui and the others were still waiting anxiously.

When the horse-riding palace deacons and imperial guards saw Xiao Kui, they knelt down and worshiped, and said: "The emperor has a decree. From now on, His Royal Highness will be restored to the title of Prince Viscount. Third Highness, please return to the palace immediately."

Everyone was stunned.Xiao Kui seemed unable to believe his ears, and couldn't help asking: "What happened?"

"This is a letter from General Yang Jian to you. Your Highness will know it after reading it."

Xiao Kui took the mud-sealed copper pipe, took out the parchment letter, and read it carefully.He watched, the smoke in his eyes slowly dissipating, and suddenly, unconsciously smiled.

"Fourth brother, it was General Yang who saved me. The Yuchijiong Rebellion broke out in Xiangzhou. Zhou Xuan Emperor Yu Wenyun had no choice but to ask Brother Yang to lead his troops to quell it, but the condition for Brother Yang to send troops was actually my throne. He learned that the Mu family had already After receiving the official order from Li Chu, he sent people overnight to send the new edict and letter to Jiangling. At this moment, he must be on his way to the expedition.”

After speaking, he faced north and bowed respectfully.

Xiao Hao smiled in relief, and the two brothers clenched their fists again and hugged each other tightly.

Xiuxiu watched all this silently, with a smile on his face.At that moment, she felt that the sky was so clear, the wind was so refreshing, and joy sprung up like mushrooms, emerging from the soil filled with hardship and hope.

She thought, it's great that Xiao Kui can make contributions to the Later Liang Dynasty again.

On this day, Shen Buyu returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion and went all the way into Liu Rulan's courtyard with a faint smile on his face.Liu Rulan was well aware of his temperament, so she called the servant girl Cuihong to bring tea, and she brought Pozi Tang and tucked it in her hand.

Autumn goes and winter comes, and it's chilly to the bone in a flash.

Shen Buyu picked up the teacup steadily, the fragrance of the tea overflowed, and it was slightly bitter when he sipped it in his mouth, but the indescribable aftertaste spread from his heart.

"There are twists and turns, and the reward comes after suffering..." He couldn't help sighing.

Liu Rulan covered her lips with her sleeve, and said with a light smile: "The third prince came back, the palace was lively for a few days, and the emperor's illness was healed. It's just the royal forbidden area, there are many rules, outsiders are not allowed to come in and out at will, so speech and behavior are unavoidably reserved It's better to be outside. Xiuxiu and the third prince have been dating for a while, but they can't see each other again, so they feel uncomfortable."

"The third prince has already moved to the palace. When everything is settled down, the prince and concubine will be selected in the spring of next year. It's good for them to meet less. The palace has rules, and the family has family laws. The daughter of the prime minister's mansion and the third prince come and go. , it will inevitably breed rumors and rumors in the ears of outsiders. How many people are eyeing the position of the third prince and concubine, and Hugh will be left behind."

"My concubine understands."

"Don't be impatient, it's only two or three months. This time, Xiuxiu, the third prince and concubine, is settled!"

Shen Buyu said it firmly, but he was actually a little uneasy in his heart.It is obvious that things are unpredictable now, but after careful consideration, there is something vaguely insecure.What it was, he couldn't tell.

At this time, the guards guarding the gate came in and reported: "Master, Madam, Lord Huanyi Hou Zhengwei, and the fourth prince have arrived outside the mansion."

Shen Buyu suddenly trembled and slapped his thigh, screaming badly.

"Master, why did Lord Zheng come with the Fourth Prince?" Liu Rulan asked hurriedly.

"I'm confused, I almost forgot about it!" Shen Buyu said angrily, "Zheng Wei proposed to me and asked me to give an answer as soon as possible. The situation has stabilized a bit, and he is about to go back to Huanyi, so he came to me to ask for an answer. Zheng Wei has a stubborn temper, but he loves his stepson very much, how should I answer?"

"Master, if you refuse, you have to be tactful!" Liu Rulan persuaded.

"It's all my fault for looking forward and backward, making the fourth prince think that the Shen family likes him. Forget it, the fourth prince is easy to talk, as long as he can persuade Zheng Wei. I'll go, you have prepared a generous gift, and it can be regarded as sending them back."

After speaking, he went out of the house with an uneasy expression on his face.

When they came to the living room, Zheng Wei and Xiao Hao were already sitting there.Shen Buyu went up to say hello pretending to be relaxed, Zheng Wei kept a straight face, staring at him with his eyes, didn't get up and didn't speak, but Xiao Hao who was beside him greeted him gracefully.

Shen Buyu knew something was wrong, so he smiled brightly and said: "Brother Zheng, you and I are old friends, we will go back to Huanyi and I will make a farewell feast for you."

Zheng Wei snorted, and said coldly: "I don't have as much free time as you."

Shen Buyu laughed loudly: "My brother is holding his breath, so why not scold him quickly? Sometimes Shen is lazy and lazy, and he doesn't know if he offends my brother. Anyway, I am the prime minister, my brother is indifferent, so I can scold him whenever I want."

"Shen Buyu!" Zheng Wei slammed the table and said impassionedly and angrily, "You dare to reject my Jia Hao'er! You fought with Ji Mingyou, I tried my best to protect the emperor, joined forces with Zheng De and a group of veteran officials to follow suit, and was almost humiliated by Ji Mingyou. I have endured it, but what is Hao'er's fault for being humiliated by you like this?"

Xiao Hao, who was silent at first, suddenly shouted: "Uncle, those are two different things, don't mix me with state affairs!"

As he said that, he blushed suddenly.

Shen Buyu understood it in his heart, but he still pretended to be confused on the outside: "Brother Zheng, where did you say this? Who abused His Highness?"

"Ask your daughter-in-law!" Zheng Wei said angrily.

Shen Buyu was relieved for a while, and his uneasy heart was completely let go.From this, it can be guessed that Xiao Hao directly expressed his love to Xiuxiu, but Xiuxiu rejected him.Zheng Wei remembered the matter of proposing marriage, Xiao Hao had to tell the truth, Zheng Wei couldn't hold back his face, so he anxiously dragged Xiao Haoxing to ask his teacher.

He pretended to be surprised, and said angrily: "The family law is not strict, how can Xiuxiu treat the fourth prince like this? After I call her, I will apologize to the fourth prince. Really, it is her luck that the fourth prince has taken a fancy to her, really I don't know what's good or bad!"

Then he called home slaves, the momentum is irrefutable.

Zheng Wei was coaxed by these words, and he looked at Xiao Hao helplessly, looking a little at a loss.

Xiao Hao strode forward to stop her, and said in a low voice, "Don't scare Xiuxiu. If Mr. Shen agrees, let me see her."

Shen Buyu felt relieved, and naturally agreed repeatedly.

In the Suxin courtyard.

Xiuxiu is weeding.She couldn't stand the heat from the stove in the room, so she stood alone under the shade of the tree.The wind blows in from the outside of the wall, blowing the brocade robe, which looks like light smoke.

She was used to being casual, and the cloud-like hair bun was loosely tied with hosta flowers, and a strand of blue silk hung down, floating leisurely in the wind all the way to people's hearts.Xiao Hao entered quietly, his expression also became erratic, he couldn't tell whether it was reluctance or reluctance, he just looked at her.

When Xiuxiu raised her head unconsciously, Xiao Hao still stared at her with this expression.

Xiuxiu was a little surprised by Xiao Hao's sudden appearance.She raised her hand to smooth her hair, and said with a smile: "The Fourth Highness is here, sit inside."

"No, just talk here."

There was also a little smile on Xiao Hao's face: "I'm going back, I'm here to say goodbye to you. I remember this time last year, I also came here like this. The days passed so quickly, and the third brother started to be busy again. Nothing to do."

As if touched by something, Xiuxiu's beautiful eyes were blurred, and she said with a smile: "The scene where you said that the road to Huanyi would snow, seems to be still in front of you. It's short here, isn't it?"

"My heart is like a warm spring, and the days are few."

After Xiao Hao blurted out these words, there was a moment of silence.Xiuxiu didn't know how to answer, so she lowered her eyes and remained silent.

After a while, Xiao Hao asked, "Do you remember what I said at that time?"

Xiuxiu said nothing, just shook his head.

Xiao Hao stood in front of Xiuxiu, holding her hand very gently.He looked up at the sky, with a smile on the corner of his mouth: "Blue sky, green grass, fragrance of flowers... Do you know, it's rare for me to be so happy these years."

"Fourth Highness..."

"When I was young, because I seldom got anything, I could be happy for a long time with what my third brother got. When I grew up, I realized that not all what my third brother got was what I liked, and my happiness became less and less. I I can’t help but think, what do I really want?”

Love.

However, I still didn't get it.

Xiuxiu's celadon-like face was in a daze, and his fingers almost touched it, so he could only withdraw his hand.Between breaths, the pain was overwhelming.

"My third brother... suddenly became very jealous. Last night we chatted and talked about you, and his expression became very comfortable and comfortable. I know, he already has you in his heart. Although you rarely meet each other Yes, but he will definitely choose you at the concubine selection meeting in the spring. Although the emperor said that I can choose other women that day, but seeing him hold your hand, what will happen to me? I will I can't bear it, so I can only escape. After experiencing this, happiness is so luxurious, I really want to go back to my childhood...Maybe, it won't be like this, I will look at you two and smile..."

He reluctantly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he saw Xiuxiu looking at him quietly, with clear and firm eyes.In an instant, he also became calm, pretending to smile indifferently, and patted her shoulder lightly.

"Take care of yourself."

Having said that, it has been said very thoroughly.

Xiuxiu stood on the waterside pavilion, watching Xiao Hao's gradually leaving back.There are remnants of lotus and fallen leaves floating on the Yeying Pond, the sky is full of smoke, the winter is extremely strong, and there are black crows between the water and the sky. Is it really going to snow on such a day?She murmured: "Your Highness Fourth, you said that His Highness Third has a secret in his heart. You don't know it, but I know it. However, he will not do stupid things, let alone hurt me."

She stared intently, the sadness for Xiao Hao's parting was gradually replaced by the lovesickness for Xiao Kui, the sky seemed to be fading away, and everything was blurred and elusive.

Wu

In a blink of an eye, it's the New Year again.

Tianji entered Ji's mansion with the gift box.He arrived at Ji Mingyou's courtyard lightly, and along the hollowed-out window pane, he saw Ji Mingyou in a cotton robe woven with gold satin, playing chess with an acquaintance.Ji Mingyou, who said he was sick at home, was very comfortable at the moment, seeming to be contemplating and careless, and occasionally let out a knowing chuckle.

It is said that when the third prince Xiao Kui returned to the palace, Emperor Liang immediately held a big banquet for him, saying it was a shock.The banquet was full of singing and dancing, and Ji Mingyou only watched the opening two auspicious scenes, and left on the pretext of a relapse of his old illness.Tianji didn't know about the turmoil at the court meeting that day. He only knew that Xiao Kui had returned, and his heart was filled with sorrow, and his hope for love sank to the bottom.

After more than half a year as a junior recorder, he never had a chance to be promoted, and Ji Mingyou's attitude was also indifferent.Fearing that he would miss it, he worked harder and went to Ji's mansion to pay homage to him from time to time.One day, Ji Mingyou suddenly told him that there was a shortage of people in the Ministry of Punishment, so he happily took Ji Mingyou's post to pay a visit to the master in charge.

(End of this chapter)