late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 4
Overcast April 1861, 8
The temperature difference between day and night in Chengde is very large, especially in the summer resort with special terrain.

At this moment, it is midnight, and although it is August, the weather is so cold that it makes me shiver.

I couldn't help it, and I thought of the dagger that was glowing with a cold light yesterday, and it was on my neck.

Seeing my panic, the Holy Mother Empress Dowager suddenly smiled, and she said, "Don't be alarmed, Mr. Tang, the Ai family will not hurt you."

I turned my head and saw An Dehai standing behind me, "Is that you?"

An Dehai put away his dagger and saluted me, "Master Tang is shocked, this slave deserves death."

Even though he said that, he couldn't hide his pride on his face. I knew at that time that he must have gained the trust of the Queen Mother.

It was here that his future position in the palace was established.

However, there is a truth that he has never been able to understand in his whole life.

In the eyes of the Holy Mother, no matter how decent he is and how favored he is, he is nothing more than a slave.

I withdrew my gaze from An Dehai's body, turned to look at the Queen Mother, and looked at her without hesitation.

"The Queen Mother summoned this minister to come over, isn't it just to make a joke with him?"

The Holy Mother Empress Dowager sighed softly, stood up from the chaise longue, walked to my side, and looked down at me.

"Master Tang, the Ai family knows that you must have a way to help the Ai family."

"and then?"

I asked her back, calm and composed.

Even though I knew she was threatening me, the only remaining man's pride in me didn't allow me to give in to her.

"Ha ha……"

The Empress Dowager Mother suddenly laughed, and the branches of her smile trembled wildly. She covered her mouth lightly with a champagne, but her eyes showed her hesitation at the moment.

"It seems that even Mr. Tang is going to join Sushun's gang of rebellious officials and thieves!"

The voice of the Holy Mother and Empress Dowager was full of sorrow, like a leopard caught in a trap, always worried about the arrival of hunters.

I looked at her with a cold expression, without the slightest fear, probably because I was originally a ghost.

"What do you want to do now?"

"Me?" The Queen Mother suddenly stopped laughing, and looked at me suspiciously.

"You want to connect with Prince Gong Yixin."

Before she could answer, I spoke out for her.

"What's the use of thinking about it, the Rehe Palace is already surrounded by Sushun's soldiers and horses, not even a single mosquito can fly out."

The Empress Dowager's expression was a little sad, she sat back on the chaise longue, lowered her eyebrows, as if she was thinking about something.

"Sushun's behavior has always been that those who do big things don't care about small things, you might as well put your mind on small things."

After I finished speaking, without waiting for the Queen Mother to respond, I got up and went back to my residence.

At this moment, I was sitting by the bed, recalling the scene at that time, and my spine was slightly chilled.

Animals like humans are afraid of death out of instinct, and I am no exception.

It's just that when the hot blood in my heart surged up, I didn't care about anything, and only felt scared afterwards.

I looked at the dark sky before dawn, and my heart was unprecedentedly heavy. My country is also in the darkest moment before dawn.

Those who walk into darkness, if they cannot turn into lights, can only be swallowed by darkness.

I don't know when I started, I was already in this darkness, and I went further and further away.

Today, it will be a contest of life and death again, and whether I can be alone...

In the afternoon, the Empress Dowager called me over again.

I wonder why she always calls me over, is it just because of Rong Lu?

This, I don't know.

When I passed by, she was sitting behind the table, and there was a booklet on the table.

I wanted to salute at first, but she stopped me, "Forget about it, take a look at this excerpt, it was played by Dong Yuanchun."

I took it and glanced at it casually. It was nothing more than a request for the empress dowagers of the two palaces to listen to the government behind the curtain.

"What does Chung Cheng think?"

There was a smile between her brows and eyes, as if this memorial had brought her infinite hope.

But I found out unexpectedly that she called me Zhongzheng instead of Mr. Tang.

Does this mean anything?

"Why, Zhongzheng disagrees with Dong Yuanchun's performance?"

Her originally smiling face suddenly turned serious, as if the rain was about to come.

"It doesn't matter whether you agree or disagree, it just depends on whether it works. Dong Yuanchun's actions are no different from a mayfly shaking a big tree."

I'm telling the truth, because judging from the current situation, Sushun has basically grasped the overall situation.

"Oh! The Ai family wants to try it out. Does Sushun still care about the queen mother of the Ai family?"

She was completely angry this time, and she no longer felt uneasy. It may be that after being frightened, the resentment to fight hard was too strong.

I watched her go all out, and I swallowed the words I wanted to comfort.

Forget it, even if tomorrow is a bloody storm, I just need to be a passerby.

(End of this chapter)