Houmen Yixiang

Chapter 123 Concubine Chen's end, the game is in the game
Concubine Qing is Wu Zhen's biological mother, who was posthumously named Concubine Qing after her death.

"Thank you, father, for your appreciation!" Wu Zhen said excitedly, this was the first time Emperor Longde praised her.

"Chang'an, quickly come to the imperial grandmother, let the imperial grandmother have a good look at it!" The queen mother happily waved to Wu Zhen.

She has seen the princess dress on Wu Zhen with her own eyes, and she has also seen the design draft of the princess crown, but Wu Zhen's beauty today is still far beyond her imagination.

The Empress Dowager looked at Chang'an in relief, with the proud appearance of a young girl in my family! "Mrs. Gong Shao did a good job today. In the past, the Ai family knew that there were always people secretly talking about Chang'an's appearance and figure. Today, Chang'an slapped those people hard! Let's see if there will be anyone else in the future." Dare to say that Chang'an is half wrong!"

The queen mother said, she glanced at the queen, the queen's palms tightened, and a more gentle smile appeared on her face, "The queen mother is right, the young lady of the palace will be rewarded! Turn around and do it!"

Wu Zhen said: "On behalf of Mrs. Gong, my son thanked the emperor's grandmother, and thanked the queen mother!"

The queen mother took Wu Zhen's hand, "Come, sit beside the imperial grandmother."

"Yes, Imperial Grandmother!" After Wu Zhen sat down, she whispered to the Empress Dowager: "Imperial Grandmother, Chang'an wants to pay homage to Mother Concubine tomorrow."

"Your mother and concubine's life and death sacrifices have not yet arrived, why do you think of worshiping her?" The queen mother was surprised at first, then smiled and said: "Yes, Chang An must have remembered that your mother and concubine gave birth to you, and wanted to thank her. You are so filial, the imperial grandmother agrees!"

Embarrassed, Wu Zhen said: "Grandmother, in fact, it was my concubine who gave Chang'an a dream last night."

"Oh, what did your concubine mother tell you?" the queen mother asked with great interest.

The smile on Wu Zhen's face faded a little, "Concubine Mother stood in the middle of Lan Lin, weeping sadly all the time, no matter how Chang An called her, she ignored Chang An, Chang An thought maybe Concubine Mother blamed Chang An for not going to visit her for a long time, So I want to pay my respects tomorrow."

"Crying all the time? Don't say anything?" The Queen Mother's heart moved.

"Yeah." Wu Zhen hummed, looking a little lonely, "Seeing the mother and concubine crying, Chang'an feels so sad."

The queen mother was thoughtful, she gave birth to two sons and three daughters in total in her life, one daughter died at birth, and the other accidentally drank poisoned wine for her and died when she was ten years old. Princess Huachang.

As a mother, the most gratifying thing is to see my daughter find a good husband and get married happily. Even if I feel extremely reluctant, there is joy and sadness in the reluctance.

Wu Zhen is sixteen, and has reached the age to find a son-in-law, but Concubine Qing only cries and doesn't speak, what does that mean?It means that she is not satisfied with the man who came to propose marriage today!

Only a mother who is dissatisfied with her son-in-law will cry so sadly, otherwise, no matter how uncomfortable she is, she will smile and bless her!
The queen mother held Wu Zhen's hand, "Chang'an, the imperial grandmother will let you find your right husband."

Wu Zhen's heart was beating wildly, it seemed that what Lu Xinyan asked her to say had achieved her goal!She showed a shy expression, "Grandmother, Chang'an wants to be with you all the time."

The Queen Mother patted her hand, smiled, and stopped talking.

After the officials knelt down and shouted "I wish Princess Chang'an a thousand years and a thousand years", the banquet kicked off that night.

The eunuchs and maids served the dishes quickly, and the sound of silk and bamboo rang out. The charming actors, flicking their sleeves, danced gracefully, turned their waists and looked back, all of them were full of amorous feelings.

It's a pity that regardless of male or female guests, the focus of everyone's discussion tonight is on Wu Zhen alone.

The noble ladies were discussing about the dress on Wu Zhen's body, the hairpin on her head, and the shoes under her feet, while the unmarried sons were excitedly discussing how to impress the emperor when they propose a marriage proposal to the emperor. Que Ping was selected and became Princess Chang'an's son-in-law!
Originally, these sons and brothers were somewhat reluctant. Although Princess Shang could bring the family supreme glory, from a man's point of view, who wouldn't want to marry a beautiful and beautiful wife?In particular, all of their family backgrounds are not bad in appearance!

However, when Wu Zhen appeared in front of everyone with such an amazing posture, everyone's reluctance disappeared immediately!

Yan Yulang was furious, "These shameless ones were all reluctant before, saying that they were forced by the family, so they had to sell their looks and bodies, rather than wishing that they would not be selected and spend the rest of their lives facing an ugly girl! Seeing Princess Chang'an's change now, everyone is gearing up and jumping for joy, it's shameless to the extreme!"

"Yulang, grandfather and uncle have high hopes for you, so you must not have any unreasonable thoughts!" said Yan Yuhan, the cousin of the Yan family beside Yan Yulang.

"I'm just talking, how can I have any thoughts that I shouldn't have?" Yan Yulang lowered his eyes guiltily.

Yan Yuhan asked: "Then why did you ask the third prince to help deliver a letter to Princess Chang'an last time?"

Yan Yulang said nervously: "Cousin, you didn't tell grandfather and father about this, did you?"

"I promised to keep the secret for you and I would never tell it!" Yan Yuhan said: "But you promised me that I would have no other thoughts, and you must keep your promise!"

Yan Yulang curled his lips, "I have nothing to do with Princess Chang'an, but my mother and the imperial concubine Qing are good cousins. When I was young, my mother felt pity for her when she lost her mother and concubine. Occasionally took over the mansion to play with her. Speaking of which, I am the same as her." The cousins ​​who grew up together as childhood sweethearts, they just care about it occasionally."

Yan Yuhan didn't really believe it in his heart, but he didn't expose him, "I care about you, you are not young, you have to avoid some things!"

"Understood, cousin, I won't do it in the future." Yan Yulang said so, but he thought in his heart that the letter had been delivered for two days, and the girl didn't give an explanation, she was so anxious!

The banquet came to an end, and the climax came.

A handsome and elegant young man stood up, "I would like to report to the emperor, Princess Chang'an is beautiful and intelligent, virtuous and virtuous, I have admired him for a long time, today I want to marry Princess Chang'an, please allow the emperor!"

Yan Yulang: Cut!Who said before that Princess Chang'an was ugly and innocent?

Another more handsome young man in blue got up quickly, "My Majesty, since I met Princess Chang'an three years ago, I have been deeply attracted by Princess Chang'an's beauty and talent. I fell in love at first sight. Farewell, I would like to ask the emperor to give you a piece of my heart." Infatuated, marry Princess Chang'an to my minister!"

Yan Yulang: Bah!Damn, can you say something more disgusting?
Wu Zhen's stomach couldn't help churning, and she vomited, the queen mother asked with concern: "Is Chang'an uncomfortable?"

"Chang'an is fine, thank the emperor's mother for caring!" Wu Zhen said with disgust.

"I report to the emperor that I am seventeen years old, in good health, knowledgeable, clean and self-disciplined. I swear that I will only marry one wife in this life, and that I will only treat her well in my whole life. Please let the emperor do it!"

Yan Yulang: You stinky and shameless person, who stayed overnight in the flower building a few days ago?

Listening to those lies and promises that became more and more inconsequential, Yan Yulang almost got angry.

Yan Yuhan gave him a stern look, "Yulang, sit down!"

Emperor Longde smiled when he heard that, although these men who proposed marriage were not the best among the big families, they were also one of the best, worthy of Chang'an!

The voices asking to marry Chang'an continued on the field, Emperor Longde was in a good mood, he turned his head and asked the Empress Dowager: "Queen Mother, Chang'an was brought up by you carefully, which one do you think is worthy of Chang'an?"

The queen mother snorted, "The Ai family didn't like any of them, and they all seemed out of tune! The Ai family still wants to stay in Chang'an for one more year. For the marriage in Chang'an, the Ai family will send people to privately inquire about suitable candidates. Let's talk about it next year!"

Naturally, Emperor Longde would not take the Queen Mother's opinion on such trivial matters, and nodded immediately, "What the Queen Mother said is, just follow what the Queen Mother said!"

The empress was so angry that her throat was smoking. Two years ago, when her eldest daughter, Princess Changle, was on her sixteenth birthday, why didn't the empress dowager look down on the suitor and wanted to inquire privately?That is the eldest princess of Tianwu Kingdom!Now, for a Chang'an with a humble background, how much thought is spent on it?Isn't it obvious that she doesn't take her as a queen seriously?

"Empress, I have a headache and I want to go back to Changxiu Palace to rest." The empress was furious, and Concubine Chen's gentle voice sounded in her ears.

The empress remembered that Concubine Chen was inseparable from Wu Wan's mistakes, and when she heard her voice, she became more irritable, waved her hand and said impatiently, "Go back and have a good rest."

Better get a headache to die for!The queen thought viciously.

"Thank you empress, my concubine will leave first!" Concubine Chen tenderly said goodbye.

A man at the bottom was beaming and said halfway, Emperor Longde raised his hand to stop him, "I know the feelings of all my lovers, but Chang'an is still young and has many shortcomings. Her marriage will not be completed until next year." Reconsideration!"

The emperor Jinkou said that once he said that we will discuss it next year, no one dared to speak out.

But everyone was amazed in their hearts, they had clearly agreed to choose a son-in-law for Princess Chang'an today, why did they suddenly change their minds?
However, the Sacred Heart is unpredictable, and they dare not guess lightly, everyone said in unison: "I obey the order!"

At the end of the banquet, the guests began to walk around and toast and greet each other.

The queen mother called Feng's family aside, and all the first-grade wives gathered around the queen mother to chat and laugh, and Gong Jin sat alone.

"Miss Gong Si, is it convenient for us to have a chat?"

Gong Jin turned her head when she heard the sound, and when she saw it, she immediately felt uncomfortable, "Hello, Mrs. Li!"

The person who came was a woman in her thirties, dressed in an old-fashioned dark purple dress, her beautiful face could not be suppressed, it was Li Yu's mother, Mrs. Dong, her face was full of suppressed anger, it seemed that the visitor was not kind.

Gong Jin knew why she came here, and in order to prevent Xiao Dong from getting angry on the spot regardless of the occasion and image, and with Xiao Dong's temperament, Gong Jin quickly stated: "Mrs. After serving the mother and immortal, the Qingdeng Ancient Buddha will be alive, and what Mrs. Li is worried about will never happen!"

After Lanying Villa, Gong Jin didn't mention anything about the matter between her and Li Yu, it seemed that Li Yu never expressed that he wanted to marry her, nor did he kiss her in public.

But in fact, she knew in her heart that she didn't mention it because she was so confused that she didn't know what to do, so she had to choose to escape.

Now that Xiao Dong appeared, Gong Jin knew that she could no longer escape, so she made a decision in an instant.

After saying these words, she felt relief, reluctance, relaxation, and melancholy intertwined in her heart, and only she could feel the feeling.

Xiao Dong prepared a full stomach of sarcasm, and even prepared to cry, make trouble, and hang himself for the last time, vowing to make Gong Jin lose face tonight and retreat in spite of the difficulties!

Since she can't handle her son's side, it's the same for Gong Jin's side!When the time comes, Gong Jin and the Guangping Marquis will firmly disagree with the marriage, and it will be useless for Li Yu to marry again!

In the end, Gong Jin directly stated that she had no intention of marrying, indicating that she had no other thoughts about her son at all, which made Xiao Dong feel very uncomfortable: My family, Ayu, is obedient, sensible, cute and cute, what are your eyes?Why not?

Xiao Dong didn't know whether to say that Gong Jin's eyesight is bad, she can't even tell her baby A Yu is good, or should she tell her to recognize her identity and stop wishful thinking!

After struggling for a while, he finally snorted coldly: "It's best for you to have this kind of self-knowledge! My family's Yu is handsome, good-natured, enthusiastic and loyal. I can't find a better husband candidate than him in this capital! But my family's family No matter how good Yu is, it has nothing to do with you! You'd better remember what you just said, don't go back on what you said, no matter what A Yu thinks, in short, you can't pass my test no matter what! "

Gong Jin smiled slightly, "I remember, Mrs. Li, go slowly."

Xiao Dong's goal was achieved, and he went to find his sister with his head held high.

Gong Jin sat down sadly, staring at the red flowers and willows in the imperial garden in a daze.

"Ah Jin, Ah Jin." A soft voice came from behind, with undisguised surprise in that voice.

The melancholy in Gong Jin's heart suddenly deepened. Without turning her head, she stretched out her hand and said, "Your mother has been here just now, and now she is going to Chen Pinghou's mansion."

She knew that Li Yu didn't come to look for Xiao Dong, but she just wanted to take the opportunity to tell him that Xiao Dong had been here.

Mrs. Dong came here and left so peacefully. It was self-evident what the two had said and reached an agreement.

Li Yu was originally full of joy, but now he was suddenly angry and nervous. Regardless of being discovered, he jumped in front of Gong Jin and said angrily: "Ah Jin, I don't care what you said to mother, and I don't care what mother said to you. , not to mention what agreement you have made, anyway, I must marry you, if you don’t marry me, I... I will become a monk!"

Gong Jin raised her eyebrows, "Young Master Li, you are the only seedling in your Li family! Your grandfather, General Li, your grandmother, Mrs. Li, your mother, Mrs. Li, and your underground father, General Li, are all waiting for you to carry on the family line." , to continue the incense of the Li family! What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

Li Yu was so fierce that her neck shrank, not only did not get angry, but instead said with a smile: "So it's fine if you promise to marry me? I agree to have as many children as you want!"

After finishing speaking, he felt that what he had said was too frivolous, as if his jade face was stained with rouge.

Gong Jin was originally annoyed by his rascal and frivolous words, but he was standing in front of her blushing, with obvious shyness. Feeling helpless, "I am your elder, how can you say such frivolous words? You are not allowed to say such words in the future!"

"You are not my elder!" Li Yu was treated like a child by her, and got angry twice, but this time she learned better, and directly retorted, "Our two families were not related before, you are Ah Jin, and I am Li Yu! You I am older than me, but I am a manly doctor, and I am born to protect women and children, so I will protect you from now on."

As he said, he happily patted his chest, the face that Gong Jin thought was still childish, at this moment unexpectedly had the heroic appearance of an adult man.

Gong Jin seems to have discovered for the first time that Li Yu is not the child she once thought she was, but has grown into a tall man with ideas and responsibilities.

Seeing her staring at him blankly, Li Yu's eyes flickered, and the tips of her ears turned red for a moment, "A Jin, I will definitely find a way to marry you, you wait for me!"

After saying this, he blushed and ran away.

Gong Jin looked at his tall back, who seemed happy but embarrassed, and suddenly felt her heart beat two minutes faster.

She slowly took two deep breaths, and scolded herself in her heart, Gong Jin, Gong Jin, you just promised Mrs. Li just now, how could you start to waver in the blink of an eye?Can't be shaken, you know?Can't be shaken!

Lu Xinyan was sitting alone at a remote banquet, and the queen mother didn't like her, so Feng took Gong Jin to sit not far from the queen mother, so she didn't bother herself, and just found a place to sit down.

There was no one around who knew her. After filling her stomach casually, she planned to get up and take a walk, only to see Eunuch Lin who was beside the queen mother rushing over.

"Mrs. Gong Shao, I found you!"

Lu Xinyan stood still and asked, "Eunuch Lin, do you have anything to do with me?"

Eunuch Lin wiped the sweat from his brow, "The empress dowager wants to see you! Please go this way with the servant!"

"Eunuch Lin, do you know why the Empress Dowager wants to see me?" Lu Xinyan was very curious. At this time, there must be many concubines and noble ladies gathered around the Empress Dowager and saying compliments to please her. How could she have time to think about her?
Eunuch Lin chuckled, "Mrs. Gong, I don't know the specific servants, so I can only tell Mrs. Gong that it is a good thing and not a bad thing!"

At the end, he added another sentence, "Ladies and gentlemen of the palace will make a great success, but you must remember the servant!"

"Then borrow Eunuch Lin's auspicious words!" Lu Xinyan followed with a smile.Eunuch Lin is a person close to the Queen Mother, and he knows the Queen Mother's heart best. Since he said so, it must be a blessing rather than a curse, and Lu Xinyan felt much more at ease.

The two walked in front of the Empress Dowager, and Lu Xinyan saluted, "I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, ladies and gentlemen!"

"Sit down and talk." The queen mother smiled kindly. Compared with before, Lu Xinyan obviously felt that her tone was more sincere, "A Bing, your precious granddaughter-in-law, do you have a nickname Zhuzhu?"

Feng replied with a smile: "The empress dowager has a good memory, her name is Zhuzhu."

The queen mother then turned her head to look at Lu Xinyan, and asked, "Mrs. Gong Shao, can the Ai family call you Zhuzhu in the future?"

The queen mother is under one person and above ten thousand people, she is willing to call someone by nickname to show her closeness, what a recognition that is!

The concubines and ladies next to her were all good people, and they all looked at Lu Xinyan a few more times.

Lu Xinyan was a little confused, but also a little flattered, "This is the blessing of my wife."

"Zhuzhu, Aijia is very satisfied with the effect of your makeup for Chang'an today. In the future, I will walk around with Chang'an more when I have free time." Wu Zhen was sought after by everyone, which greatly improved the face of the queen mother and the emperor. The queen mother was happy and decided Put aside the prejudice against Lu Xinyan in your heart for the time being. After all, the grievances of the previous generation have nothing to do with Lu Xinyan, a junior, and now she is the granddaughter-in-law that Ah Bing likes, so by the way, give Ah Bing some face!
"Yes, Empress Dowager!" Lu Xinyan said neither humble nor overbearing.

Seeing that she did not receive the favor, the queen mother was overjoyed, and she felt satisfied again, "Don't you have some questions about makeup that you want to ask Zhuzhu? Ask any questions, and the Ai family will follow suit."

As soon as the Empress Dowager spoke, some concubines couldn't bear it anymore and asked: "Mrs. Gong, look at my skin color and figure, what is the most suitable for me to wear?"

Lu Xinyan glanced at her, pondered for a while, and then began to answer...

The concubines and ladies listened carefully. The place that should have been the busiest place turned out to be the quietest, attracting the attention of many other ladies and ladies, who gathered to see what happened.

As a result, as soon as they arrived, everyone was reluctant to leave, forming circle after circle of encirclement.

As the number of people increased, the encircling circle became larger and larger, and almost all the female guests in the imperial garden gathered together.

Not far away, Xiao Yichen was wearing a dark blue brocade robe specially made by the Imperial Forest Army, standing on a stone, looking towards the female guest.

At a glance, I saw the shining person in the middle of the encirclement. She was like a magnet, attracting everyone to approach her unconsciously.

Xiao Yichen unconsciously smiled.

Quickly thinking of the news he just received, his eyes dimmed instantly.

After Lu Xinyan explained for half an hour, she found that there were more and more people around her, and there were more and more problems.
"Okay, that's all for today." Seeing that her lips had started to dry out, the Queen Mother relieved her.

Lu Xinyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and cast a grateful glance.

-

Changxiu Palace.

Led by Xiao Xizi, the two men quietly came to Changxiu Palace, avoiding the eyeliner in the palace.

"Chen Nan (Chen Siyuan) sees the concubine Chen!" Chen Nan and Chen Siyuan knelt down on one knee to salute.

"Father, brother, there are no outsiders here, so don't be too polite!" Concubine Chen hurried forward to help her father and elder brother.

"Thank you, Concubine Chen!" Concubine Chen's father, Chen Nan, got up and said, "Courtesy cannot be discarded!"

"Father, big brother, time is running out, so I won't talk nonsense." Concubine Chen said: "He Qingshan was accused of corruption and perverting the law. These days, you should be more restrained. If you can't accept it, don't accept it. If you can't, don't send it away. !"

Chen Nan and Chen Siyuan lowered their heads and thought about who He Qingshan was, Chen Nan asked: "He Qingshan, who knows Qingzhou?"

Concubine Chen saw that the two of them hadn't realized the seriousness, so she couldn't help but said: "I heard that the amount reached 10 taels of silver, the emperor was furious, and people are secretly investigating!"

Chen Nan and Chen Siyuan looked at each other, Chen Siyuan said cautiously: "Chen Concubine, there are eighty officials who are exposed every year in this court. What's the relationship? Is the empress a little too cautious?"

Concubine Chen's chest stagnates, feeling sad for her father and brother who have no eyesight. She has worked so hard in the palace for so many years before she barely pushed them to the fourth and fifth ranks.

If it wasn't for the future of the Chen clan, and for the sake of the Ninth Princess having a natal family who would become a powerful person, why would she put herself on the cusp of the storm?
She breathed out slowly, "What did He Qingshan use the embezzled money for?"

"Naturally, it's filial piety." Chen Siyuan said, no matter how much greed this petty official has, it's all used to pave the way for his future, and the actual money in his pocket is very small. This is a tacit thing in the officialdom, and he really doesn't understand. Concubine Chen asked what she meant!

Concubine Chen supported her forehead, "In the past, if an official was accused, how did the emperor usually deal with it?"

Chen Nandao: "Hand it over to one of the three departments of the Procuratorate, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Dali Temple."

Concubine Chen said: "This time the matter of congratulating Qingshan, the emperor kept it a secret, and secretly investigated it. What do you want to do?"

Seeing that her father and brother were still ignorant, she was so angry that she flipped the teacup in her hand, "The emperor wants to put a long line to catch a big fish! I think the evidence of the crime is convincing, and I will wipe out all the upper and lower relationship networks related to He Qingshan! I want to kill chickens and scare monkeys!" ! If at this time, someone secretly tampers with our Chen family and the crime falls into the hands of the emperor, will the emperor let the Chen family go?"

Only now did Chen Nan and Chen Siyuan understand, and they were shocked.

"My concubine loves me, she can see clearly!" The majestic voice, with a piercing chill and murderous intent, came slowly from the gate of Changxiu Palace. Terrified.

"Emperor... Your Majesty?" Concubine Chen collapsed to the ground as if she had been sucked out of life!
"Ouch, Sister Concubine Chen, you... how could you do such a thing?" Concubine Yang smiled gloatingly, "The palace guards of the inspection team reported that they saw someone sneaking into the Changxiu Palace, and my sister was worried about her safety. , I brought someone here to check it out, who knows... Hey, what can I ask my sister to say about you?"

Those who summon outside men in private, die!
Those who discuss political affairs in the harem will die!
Those who try to figure out the holy will without authorization, die!
Concubine Chen knew that she was bound to die, she couldn't care less about Concubine Yang's sarcasm, and begged with tears: "I know that the death penalty is inevitable, but my father and brother don't know about it. I beg the emperor to read it for the sake of the ninth princess. For the sake of the loyalty of the Chen family, let me punish you lightly!"

"Sister Concubine Chen, what you said is not very flattering. Isn't it right for the Chen family to be loyal to the emperor because of the royal salary? Now that your Chen family has made a mistake, but you want the emperor to protect you and let him go, where will you put the emperor? If in the future the court official commits a crime, he can just ask for it, where is the law?"

Concubine Yang sneered in her heart, it was beyond her expectation to catch such a big handle on Concubine Chen tonight!But since the opportunity to defeat Concubine Chen has come, she will definitely not let it go!Who told Concubine Chen to offend the queen, offend her?
Concubine Chen glared at Concubine Yang angrily, "Concubine Yang, what enmity does my Chen family have against you? Are you going to kill my Chen family like this?"

Concubine Yang covered her mouth and smiled softly, "Sister Concubine Chen, what are you doing to your sister? It's your Chen family who did the wrong thing! What's the matter with my sister?"

Concubine Yang condemned every word, Concubine Chen trembled with anger, and looked at Emperor Longde with tears in her eyes, hoping to arouse a little pity from him.

Emperor Longde looked at the woman crouching at his feet coldly, his eyes were as cold and cold as looking at an ant, "Concubine Chen privately summoned a foreigner, discussed government affairs indiscriminately, gave him a glass of poisoned wine, and executed immediately! Chen Nan Chen Siyuan, trespassing!" In the concubine's palace, fifty sticks!"

Fifty sticks?Concubine Chen was overjoyed, but Concubine Yang was dissatisfied that the emperor let the Chen family go so easily!hateful!

"...Immediately order the Ministry of Penalties to conduct a thorough investigation of the Chen family!"

There was a loud thunder!
Concubine Chen's face was ashamed, the Ministry of Punishment was a neutral faction, they only listened to the emperor, and they were notoriously strict, officials who committed crimes against them would either ransack their homes or exile them!
The Chen family, it's over!
Concubine Yang followed Emperor Longde and walked away proudly with her head held high.

As early as Emperor Longde had just appeared, Chen Nan and Chen Siyuan, who were too scared to say a word, were dragged away. In the huge Changxiu Palace, in an instant, only Concubine Chen was left alone.

The eunuch who executed the execution came soon, and at the same time came a person who surprised Concubine Chen, Su Zhaoyi.

After several days of careful nursing, Su Zhaoyi's complexion is ruddy, and her whole body exudes a soft maternal radiance, and she doesn't look like she was about to have a miscarriage at all.

Concubine Chen was filled with emotions. Since the accident, all the maids and eunuchs of Changxiu Palace have disappeared, let alone someone came to see her. Unexpectedly, in the end, the person who came to see her was actually Su Zhaoyi, who she had used before. !
Su Zhaoyi took out a piece of silver, and stuffed it into the hand of the execution eunuch with a smile, "This father-in-law, can I have a few words with Concubine Chen?"

She is pregnant with the prince, the empress dowager and the emperor are very fond of her, and everyone in the palace is jealous of her.

The execution eunuch squeezed out a smile on his stiff face, "Su Zhaoyi, please make a long story short!"

"Thank you, father-in-law!" Su Zhaoyi thanked.

"Su Zhaoyi, thank you for coming to see me..." Concubine Chen thanked her, and when she was about to ask her to take care of the Ninth Princess in the future, Su Zhaoyi's words made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

"You're welcome, I just want you to go on the road with peace of mind." Su Zhaoyi smiled, that smile was different from the previous shallow smile, with a flamboyant and hard thorn.

Concubine Chen felt cold, "Su Zhaoyi, what do you mean by that?"

Su Zhaoyi smiled casually and asked: "Sister Concubine Chen, I almost had a miscarriage before, is it your masterpiece?"

"No, Su Zhaoyi, you misunderstood! This matter has nothing to do with me!" Concubine Chen denied it vehemently. She was not afraid to admit it when she was about to die, but she was afraid that Su Zhaoyi would take the anger of the Ninth Princess!
"Actually, this matter is not entirely the responsibility of Concubine Chen's sister. Although you deliberately guided the person pretending to be a ghost to the Hehuan Palace, but in the end I fell down, not because I was scared by the person pretending to be a ghost. Yes..." Su Zhaoyi smiled slightly, "It was Ben Gong's intention!"

"Why?" Concubine Chen gasped.

"Why? Because I want to help the master!" Su Zhaoyi had a look of disdain that she asked nonsense.

"You...you too..." Concubine Chen was so surprised that she stuttered!
"So, do you think you're the only one in this palace?" Su Zhaoyi lowered her head and gently stroked her upper abdomen with one hand. The expression with drooping eyes and a smile was touching, "I can't keep the child in my belly. I planned to take advantage of it." This opportunity is gone, and by the way, I will attack the Queen and the Second Prince's faction, who knows that he is so fateful, so he can survive this way, in this case, I decided to give him a good birth."

"This child... belongs to the master?" Chen Fei asked tremblingly.

"Yeah!" Su Zhaoyi showed a happy expression, "This is the master's first child!"

"No! Master clearly promised me that I will give birth to the first child in the future!" Concubine Chen roared hysterically.

"Cut! Don't look at how old you are? Can you give birth?" Su Zhaoyi rolled her eyes.

"You came here just to show off?" Concubine Chen panted, looking at Su Zhaoyi viciously, "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell you?"

Su Zhaoyi said arrogantly: "Tell me, I don't care, anyway, before I die, I'll take Princess Nine as a cushion."

Concubine Chen collapsed to the ground again.

-

Because of the empress dowager's public approval, some noble ladies who originally cared about the empress and Wu Wan took the initiative to show their favor to Lu Xinyan and ask for advice on dressing up.

Lu Xinyan's face was stiff with laughter, and it took a lot of effort to let herself catch her breath.

Counting the time when Concubine Chen left, she should have been caught right now.

Lu Xinyan couldn't wait to know the result.

She searched for Xiao Yichen's figure everywhere, and finally saw him beside a rockery.

At this moment, he was looking at her.

But the moment she looked over, she quickly looked away, turned around and walked behind the rockery.

Lu Xinyan followed immediately.

The night wind blew a clear breath from him, and even though he couldn't see anyone, Lu Xinyan intuitively knew where to go to find him.

But what about people?You were here just now?Lu Xinyan muttered softly, turned her head and looked around.

The moment he turned around, he bumped into something hard, and when he subconsciously wanted to back away, he almost fell down.

"Ouch!"

A pair of hands quickly grabbed her, and she bumped into the hardness again, and when she looked up, it turned out to be someone's chest.

Well, it's strong, with a nice smell.

Lu Xinyan took two steps back, looked at the corners of someone's lips, squinted her eyes and asked, "Xiao Shizi, did you deliberately scare me just now?"

It made her almost fall down and make a fool of herself!
Xiao Yichen said calmly: "People who practice martial arts are extremely sensitive to someone following behind them, and they instinctively hide aside to see who it is!"

Lu Xinyan curled her lips, "Didn't you see me chasing you just now?"

Someone pursed his lips, "I didn't see it."

Was she blind just now?Lu Xinyan rolled her eyes, graciously ignoring this issue with him, "What's the matter with Concubine Chen?"

Xiao Yichen said: "Your Majesty has just left, and ordered on the spot that Concubine Chen will give you poisoned wine, Chen's father and son will be punished fifty times, and Dali Temple will conduct a thorough investigation!"

"The Chen family is over." What a joy!
Xiao Yichen couldn't guess the expression on her face, so he asked: "Do you think it's a pity?"

Lu Xinyan shrugged, "It's a pity, it's a pity I didn't see it with my own eyes, it's a pity the Ninth Princess, the child is innocent."

Xiao Yichen was silent for a while, "There was an accident in Lianfu last night!"

"What's the matter? Are the fifth brother and the seventh sister okay?" Lu Xinyan's heart skipped a beat.

"The first seven of the Lian Clan were sent off by relatives and friends of the Lian family. A fire broke out in the mansion. My people only had time to rescue the third master, the fifth young master and the seventh lady, and the rest..." Xiao Yichen paused, "All died in the sea of ​​flames! There are no bones left!"

Lu Xinyan shuddered, "That man is so cruel!"

"Do you know who that person is?" Xiao Yichen raised his eyebrows and asked back.

"I can guess who it is, but..." Lu Xinyan said, "I haven't found enough evidence yet to expose her!"

"Evidence..., there is no evidence now, maybe there will be soon." Xiao Yichen said with deep meaning.

"What do you mean by that?" Lu Xinyan asked curiously, "Do you know who is the mastermind in the Guangping Hou's mansion? How do you know?"

Xiao Yichen turned around, stopped answering her words, and said lightly: "It's getting late, let's go back."

After speaking, she left without waiting for Lu Xinyan to react.

It seems to be walking normally, but in fact it has drifted far away after a few strokes.

Lu Xinyan could only look at the ocean and sigh, "This guy, why is it like this? Every time I say half of it, it makes people appetite!"

Next time I'll whet your appetite too, let you try what it's like to be whetted!Lu Xinyan clenched her fists.

-

It was half past Yinshi (four o'clock in the morning), and the entire capital, except for some flower streets and willow lanes that were still brightly lit, was silent.

At this time, the shrill sound of the horn pierced the night sky, startling everyone from their sleep.

"Eight hundred miles, hurry up! Southwest Battle Report!"

The sound of the city gate opening urgently, the sound of the palace gate opening urgently, and immediately after, the entire palace was lit with palace lanterns.

Emperor Longde saw the battle report in his hand, his forehead was tightly wrinkled into the word Sichuan, his lips were pursed into a slit, and his whole body dropped to freezing point, "Morning immediately!"

Most of the officials stayed in the palace last night, and after two quarters of an hour, everyone stood in the hall.

The etiquette eunuch was about to shout loudly, but Emperor Longde reached out to stop him, and cut straight to the point, "Southwest battle report, a big defeat! Old General Li was forced into Qiyun Mountain by Wacha, and defended desperately. Now I request the imperial court to send 20 troops to reinforce it!"

Ji Kun, the chubby Minister of the Ministry of War, turned pale with shock, "Qiyun Mountain is the most important line of defense in the southwest. Once it falls, the entire southwest will be occupied. At that time, Wacha will bypass the Mohe River from Anchu and go straight to Qinnan. Once it approaches the capital , the capital will be in jeopardy..."

Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Longde with a pale face, shook his head vigorously, and flew towards Ji Kun with his head full of faces, "Nonsense! Doesn't I know the seriousness? You are called to tell me such nonsense? "

Ji Kun didn't even dare to hide, let the battle report hit the top of his head, then bent over to pick it up, and retreated obediently.

"Tell me something useful! [-]. How many troops can be mobilized within seven days now? [-]. Can the military supplies keep up with it? [-]. Who will be sent for reinforcements? How will the battle plan be formulated? Ji Kun, you are Minister of the Ministry of War, you Firstly!"

Just as Ji Kun was sprayed, he was reaching out to wipe the sweat off his forehead when he was suddenly called on again, his legs were so frightened that his legs went limp, "My Majesty, about... about five to one hundred thousand!"

"I don't want an approximation! How much is it?" Emperor Longde said angrily, "Old General Li asked for 20, 20!"

Ji Kun bit the bullet and said: "My Majesty, according to the regulations, the reserve force of the Ministry of War is 20 troops. Last month, [-] troops were sent to Dongyuan to fight Wula. Ten days ago, King Rui sent a letter saying that Beidi was about to move, so he sent [-] troops." Going to Beizhou, the current strength of the capital is less than [-], and if you add some troops quickly transferred back from the states near the capital, it will be about...[-]! Your Majesty, the maximum number of troops that the Ministry of War can mobilize is [-]!"

"20, Old General Li asked for [-], but only [-]!" Emperor Longde said solemnly, "Kong Aiqing, can the military supplies of the household department keep up?"

Minister of the Household Department, Kong Zhi, is nearly sixty years old. He is the father of Concubine Kong Shu and the grandfather of the fourth prince. He is a somewhat rigid old man. "I report to the emperor that the tax revenue has just entered the treasury in autumn. Now the treasury is full and can meet all the needs of the Ministry of War!"

Emperor Longde's face was much gentler, "Kong Aiqing, thank you for your hard work."

"This is my job!" Kong Zhiren said with a serious expression.

Emperor Longde knew that he had always been like this, so he didn't have time to think too much, so he directly asked the question to the most critical point: "The force is only [-], who will send reinforcements? How will the battle plan be formulated?"

Originally, Ji Kun, Minister of the Ministry of War, should have expressed his opinion on this kind of matter first. Seeing his sweating profusely, Emperor Longde glanced past him impatiently.

He had already said so, but none of the officials below stood up immediately, including several generals and military officers.

General Li asked for an army of 20. Everyone in the court knew that General Li was a real person. He said 20, which means at least 20. It would be dangerous to lose 12 to [-], let alone [-]. !
If the imperial court can send 30 troops, regardless of whether they are civil servants or military officials, many people will rush to lead the army!If you can't send 30, you can send at least 20. Some military officers who are still ambitious may be willing to give it a try!
But now, there is only an army of [-], no matter who leads the army, they are all close to death!
Not to mention his own death, the leading general who was seriously defeated in the battle will bring disaster to his family!
Under such circumstances, who would dare to volunteer?

Emperor Longde's face was so dark that it was about to drip, "Can't one or two be able to argue and argue? Today is the time when you are needed, and everyone is dumb? Class, never speak again!"

This... so serious!

Immediately, a minister came out, "The minister recommended General Luo!"

General Luo, who was around fifty, stood up, "I want to relieve His Majesty's worries, but my legs were necrotic in the early years, and I barely kept them, so I couldn't march quickly! But this time, the Southwest Army is in an emergency, so I have to hurry. I'm afraid..."

"Next!" Emperor Longde was too lazy to listen to such nonsense.

"The minister recommends General Gao!"

"The old minister is nearly sixty years old, I'm afraid he hasn't been to the southwest..."

Another excuse!Emperor Longde snorted twice from his nostrils, "Next!"

"My minister recommends General Youlang of the Imperial Forest Army and Xiao Yichen, the heir of Duke Zhen!" said Yuan Hongshan, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, in his mid-thirties. He was handsome and heroic.

"No!" Qi Huai'en, the left servant of the Ministry of War, stopped him loudly. This person was the person who supervised the army and participated in Xiao Yichen's book. If he leads the army, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Yuan Hongshan said: "Three years ago, although Xiao Shizi committed the problem of going his own way strategically, in the end it was Xiao Shizi who defeated the Ula Army and made the Dongyuan border quiet for three years! After three years of precipitation, I believe that Xiao Shizi has already suffered a lot. Make up your mind and change your past!"

"Yuan Shangshu, did you accept Xiao Shizi for any benefit? Trying so hard to speak well of him?" Qi Huai'en said in an indifferent way.

Yuan Hongshan bowed his hands in his direction, "Qi Shilang claimed that the victory of Dongyuan's defeat of the Wula army was all due to your scheme. Since Qi Shilang has such a scheme, why don't you recommend Qi Shilang as an official, or Qi Shilang recommends himself to lead the army to go out?" how?"

He always has an expression on his face, and his tone of voice is always calm. It is really hard to guess whether he is trying to run on Qi Huai'en, or he really wants to recommend Qi Huai'en!
"You!" Qi Huai'en gave Yuan Hongshan a hard look, and died down.

Emperor Longde turned a blind eye to the debate between the two men just now, "Yuan Aiqing recommends Prince Xiao, Duke of Zhen, what's your opinion?"

For a while there were those who agreed, those who opposed it, and those who were silent. After arguing for more than half an hour, there was still no result.

In the end Ge Taishi Ge Changsheng said: "I would like to report to the emperor, I suggest to invite Xiao Shizi to come in and ask him to come up with a battle plan. If the Ministry of War thinks it is feasible, Xiao Shizi will go out to fight. If not, then send someone else!"

Another candidate?Who to send!This was the thought of everyone in the court, but none of them wisely raised it.

In the debate just now, except for some people who have ulterior motives to fear the resurgence of the Zhen Guo government, such as Qi Huai'en and his like, most of the rest of the debate was for the emperor to see.

The emperor doesn't like the serious disagreement among the ministers, but he doesn't like the fact that the ministers are huddled together to deceive the superior and the inferior.

So among those who opposed just now, in fact, most of them wished to directly send Xiao Yichen to fight, to end the morning court quickly, so that they could go home and have a good sleep.

"I agree with Grand Master Ge's proposal!"

"The minister also agrees!"

Emperor Longde made a final decision, "Come here, pass the decree immediately, Xiao Yichen, the son of Duke Xuanzhen, will see you!"

Following Eunuch De's loud shout, "Xuanzhen Guogong's son Xiao Yichen has an audience!" The voices sounded like the echo of the valley, one after another.

A while later, Xiao Yichen dressed in white came to the court.

He knelt down on one knee, "The last general, Xiao Yichen, sees the emperor!"

"Xiao Aiqing, please stand up!" Emperor Longde said kindly, "It's half past Yinshi today. I received an urgent message from General Li 20 miles to the southwest. Wacha invaded aggressively. Our army was defeated and retreated to Qiyun Mountain. General Li asked for support for [-] days. Wan, now the Ministry of War can mobilize a maximum of about [-] troops within seven days, but the southwestern campaign is only allowed to win, not to lose! Now I have no conclusion on who to send to the expedition. Yuan Shangshu and other ministers recommend you to lead the army. I think Listen to your battle plan first!"

Xiao Yichen said: "My Majesty, in the past when the army made a battle plan, it would only be decided temporarily unless there was an emergency. Otherwise, it would take more than a month, and at least ten days!"

Emperor Longde was stunned. He was in a moment of impatience and forgot the most important thing.

Qi Huaien said maliciously: "Xiao Shizi, you just said that you will only make a temporary decision unless there is an emergency. Now it is an emergency, you just need to tell your plan!"

Xiao Yichen said: "Servant Qi, Xiao has never been to the Southwest, let alone the specific battle situation, our army and the enemy's situation, how can we talk about it on paper?"

The four words of talking about soldiers on paper aroused Qi Huai'en's old hatred. He snorted coldly, "No one in the capital knows Xiao Shizi's military talent. I'm afraid he didn't dare to go, so he said that on purpose, right?"

"What Qi Shilang said is wrong, Xiao is about to ask the emperor for an order to lead troops to the Southwest!" Xiao Yichen turned to Emperor Longde and said: "Your Majesty, the general wishes to lead [-] troops and go to the Southwest in seven days to rescue General Li , to solve the crisis in the southwest!"

Just now Yuan Hongshan suggested that Qi Huai'en should recommend himself, Qi Huai'en didn't fart, and now he used this routine on Xiao Yichen, Xiao Yichen immediately asked for orders, comparing the two, it was like slapping Qi Huai'en severely!

Qi Huai'en's old face was flushed, "Xiao Shizi, it's a child's play for you to go to the Southwest? You are not familiar with the Southwest, and you don't have any battle plan. You know yourself and the enemy well in the art of war, and you can win a hundred battles! With your blood, how can you win? What if you lose the battle? , can you afford the consequences?"

"Your Majesty, the final general is willing to live and die with the Southwest, and will not retreat from Tiara, and will not return to Tianwu!" Xiao Yichen's sonorous and forceful words echoed in the court hall.

Emperor Longde's blood was agitated and he was full of pride, "Okay! I'm sure! The Ministry of War and Housekeeping will fully cooperate. Seven days later, I will personally see you off at the city wall of the West Gate! I wish the Great General Xiao Yichen a triumphant return!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty is wise! The ministers wish the Great General Xiao Yichen of Zhengxi a victory and a triumphant return!"

-

The news of the [-]-mile urgency awakened everyone in the capital, but those border wars thousands of miles away, no matter whether they won or lost, to the comfortable and comfortable people in the capital, they were just a topic of conversation after dinner!

The tense atmosphere in the court could not affect the inside and outside of the palace. For Lu Xinyan who lived in a peaceful age, those wars were even more unreal as if they had passed away.

In the morning, I packed my luggage, bid farewell to Wu Zhen, went to Weiyang Palace to bid farewell to the queen, and finally went to Longevity Palace, met Feng Shi, and left the palace together.

"Zhuzhu, when Ah Bing enters the palace in the future, you also come to talk with Aijia." The queen mother said kindly.

"Yes, Empress Dowager." Lu Xinyan said.

The Empress Dowager said: "It's getting late, the Ai family will not delay your return to the mansion, Eunuch Lin, send the old lady Gong Si and Mrs. Gong Shao on behalf of the Ai family!"

"Yes, Empress Dowager!"

After getting out of the palace gate, saying goodbye to Eunuch Lin, getting into the carriage, lying on the soft couch, and rolling around a few times without any image, Lu Xinyan felt that her whole body had come alive, "I can finally return to the pomegranate courtyard! "

"This palace is really not a place for people to stay!" Qingtong let out a long breath, "Be careful when you eat and walk. You were careful in the last hut and didn't dare to stay too long! I really admire those who stay in the palace all the year round. People in the house!"

"The depression in the palace has caused many people to be abnormal in their hearts!" Bai Zhi said.

Qingtong laughed, "It's true! If you suppress it for a long time, normal will become abnormal!"

"But I think the palace is very interesting. There are so many beautiful sisters, beautiful flowers, interesting places, and delicious food..." Xiao He's eyes showed longing, "If I have the chance, I would like to go to the palace to see Look."

"Go in and be trapped by someone? Miss may not be able to save you next time!" Qingtong gave her a sideways look.

Xiao He wrinkled her nose, "Miss said that I will gain wisdom through experience, and I won't be tricked next time!"

Qingtong said: "Those women in the palace are cheating without blinking an eye. By the time you find out that you have been tricked, you will already be standing in the deep pit and unable to climb out."

"Qing Tong is right!" Lu Xinyan said: "Xiao He, go to this palace as little as possible, and don't go if you can!"

Xiao He lowered her head and remained silent, thinking to herself, there is a good-hearted and good-looking eldest prince in the palace, so it is not as scary as you said!
Bai Zhi asked: "By the way, miss, next month's second day is your birthday, and there are still a few days to prepare. How do you plan to spend it?"

"Xiao He, how do you want to celebrate?" Xiao He's birthday is September 22, because she entered the palace that day, she originally planned to celebrate it earlier, but too many things happened in the first half month, so she postponed her birthday to the same day as Lu Xinyan.

Xiao He immediately put the thought of entering the palace behind her, she looked at Lu Xinyan with bright eyes, "Miss, you have a lot of ideas, why don't you give me some ideas?"

Lu Xinyan said with a smile: "The thief girl, you want me to use my brain to come up with a plan, you choose, right?"

Xiao He jumped up and said: "Miss is really smart!"

"Miss, I have used my brain power, Xiao He, how do you plan to repay me, Miss?" Lu Xinyan approached Xiao He treacherously, with evil spirits in his brows, and sparkles in his eyes.

"Miss, don't look at me like that, I'm so scared!" Xiao He was frightened when she saw her eyes like this, so she hid in the direction of Qingtong, but was grabbed by Lu Xinyan, "Come on, let the lady have a good time!"

"Ah! Don't! Sister Qingtong, help!..."

In the end, although they didn't get married, Xiao He's face with a little baby fat was pinched and rubbed by Lu Xinyan. When she got off the car, she was as red as two little apples.

When he arrived at the Guangping Marquis' Mansion, he happened to meet Uncle Tian who had rushed back from the journey.

There is an obvious stubble on the chin, the face is gray, the corners of the mouth are dry, and the eye sockets are sunken, but the eyes have a different brilliance.

"Miss, there is good news!" Uncle Tian said excitedly.

Lu Xinyan nodded, "Uncle Tian, ​​come to the pomegranate yard together."

Lueyue, who got off the carriage behind Lu Xinyan, saw Uncle Tian, ​​and subconsciously hid behind Shuyun, no matter how much Shuyun pulled her, she refused to come out.

Uncle Tian's eyes dimmed, then he turned around and followed Lu Xinyan to the pomegranate yard, so he didn't notice Lueyue who was a bit inconvenient.

After a hundred days of injury, Luaoyue's foot did not suffer any injury, but Bai Zhi suggested that one should be more careful when walking, so as not to accidentally twist it again.

Mother Lu and Mother Cheng were waiting for Lu Xinyan at the gate of the pomegranate courtyard. When she saw her come back, she immediately burst into tears, "Miss~"

Lu Xinyan thought they hadn't seen each other for a few days, the two missed them, nodded immediately, and smiled: "Mother Lu, Mother Cheng, we are back, I have worked hard for you these few days! Come in."

"Miss..." Nanny Lu shouted from behind, Lu Xinyan stepped into the courtyard, and was about to turn around to ask Nanny Lu what's the matter, but was so shocked by the changed Pomegranate Courtyard that she couldn't move!
The courtyard was decorated with lanterns and festoons, red silk was floating all over the sky, red lanterns were hung in strings under the eaves and under the trees, the sun umbrellas and deck chairs were gone, the two swings were wrapped in red silk, and the doors and windows of her room were pasted with big red happy characters .

What a beaming wedding yard scene!
(End of this chapter)