"The concubine didn't dare. ”

Looking at Emperor Zhou's eyes, Empress Zhao bowed slightly, but there was no jealousy and respect on her face.

"It's just that Your Majesty is already old, and it's time to abdicate and make way for Xian. As long as His Majesty can let Chen'er inherit the throne and no longer interfere in the government, the concubines will guarantee that His Majesty will be able to retire and retire in the palace with peace of mind. ”

"Queen, I treat you well, you really played a big game of chess. Unexpectedly, it turned out that I had long been a pawn on the chessboard with you and the King of Chu. ”

Hearing Emperor Zhou sneer and mention the man who was counted as the greatest humiliation in her life, Empress Zhao pursed the corners of her lips a little unnaturally, obviously knowing that in this most unforgivable thing, she was ashamed of him after all.

However, she knew that the matter had come to this point, and there was no turning back, and any matter, compared to the safety of his son and the throne, could be ruthlessly abandoned.

"Your Majesty's dragon body is not safe, so let's go back to the palace to rest early. These people, the concubines will take care of the aftermath for His Majesty. ”

She restrained her expression, raised her eyebrows, deliberately avoided Emperor Zhou's sharp and distressed eyes, and when she came back to her senses, she caught a glimpse of a familiar but extremely unexpected figure appearing at the door of the hall.

"Today's Tai Chi Hall is really lively. ”

The person who spoke was Zhao Xinzhi, the Marquis of Li'an, who had not entered the palace for a long time.

I saw him dressed in plain clothes, walking smoothly into the hall, bowing to Emperor Zhou unhurriedly, as if he had anticipated everything that was happening in front of him, as calmly as usual.

Seeing Zhao Xinzhi's sudden appearance, Empress Zhao's eyes lit up, and her face immediately showed a heavy look of worry.

"Marquis Zhao, you are not in the Hou Mansion for leisure, what are you doing here at this time?"

Then he gave orders to the surrounding forbidden troops in a cold tone: "Come on, send the Hou Ye back to the house." ”

However, to everyone's surprise, these forbidden troops who were supposed to obey Empress Zhao's orders were all indifferent, and none of them came out to carry out the order.

"What are you still doing in a daze, hurry!"

Seeing that the situation that she was originally determined to win began to become uncontrollable, Queen Zhao's eyebrows tightened, and her face suddenly lost color, and the whole person became impatient.

"Qingjia, I have advised you a long time ago, don't do too much in everything, and remember to leave a way back for yourself. ”

In the face of Empress Zhao's urgency and panic, Zhao Xinzhi only faintly sighed, and his originally misty eyes dispersed, revealing a cold and cold light.

"At the beginning, Your Majesty had the heart to abolish the reserve, and when I came forward to intercede, you and my brother and sister had already fulfilled their kindness, and everything today was your own injustice. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, all the forbidden troops above the main hall suddenly turned against each other, and instead fought against Empress Zhao and the crown prince.

originally thought that Zhao Xinzhi and Empress Zhao were brother and sister, so they would naturally be in cahoots, but in a short period of time, such a series of reversals, whether it was Cheng Jinzhi or others, they were not only worried, but also confused.

"You traitors, what do you want to do! Those who disobey the orders of this palace will want your heads to fall to the ground!"

"Uncle, as long as my nephew sits on the throne, this big week will be the world of our Zhao family from now on, you must not be confused!"

But at this time, Zhao Xinzhi didn't pay attention to the restlessness of Empress Zhao and the crown prince, only to see him smile coldly, then turn his gaze and go straight to Emperor Zhou, who was already as pale as snow in front of him.

"Your Majesty, has your Majesty ever thought of the situation that has caused such a disastrous situation today, and have you ever regretted it?"

"Zhao Xinzhi, didn't you come today just to get such an answer?"

"Your Majesty, last night, the old minister dreamed of Cheng'er again. ”

Zhao Xinzhi said to himself, his eyes slightly condensed on the point of emptiness in the air, as if he was immersed in a certain memory full of pain, and a trace of sadness flowed from the corners of his eyes.

And this name, which sounded extremely unfamiliar to Cheng Jinzhi, made Emperor Zhou's breath on the dragon throne stagnate, and his eyes trembled.

He was bruised and covered in blood, and he fell to the ground begging for mercy. He was still so young, he didn't want any fame and fortune at all, he just wanted to go home, but the vicious people who chased him behind him still refused to let him go. ”

The "Cheng'er" in Zhao Xinzhi's mouth is his only son Zhao Cheng.

Eighteen years ago, Zhao was sent to Quzhou to suppress the rebellion of the Fan tribe at the behest of Emperor Zhou, but was slaughtered by the remnants of the rebellion, and when he returned to the capital, he was already a cold corpse stained with blood.

Since then, he has begun to fade out of the court, regardless of the government, and has never mentioned his son who died young in front of people.

Although the days seem to be leisurely and quiet, it can't help but make people feel a kind of loneliness and sadness under the pain of losing a child.

Gao Heng was hostage in the Western Jin Dynasty at the time, and he didn't know much about Zhao Cheng, and Cheng Jinzhi was just a gray-haired girl in the backyard of Cheng's mansion, so naturally he had never heard of it.

Now that she suddenly heard Zhao Xinzhi mention it, she vaguely realized that behind Zhao Chengzhi's death, there may be another hidden secret.

Obviously, Empress Zhao, who is her sister, is also suddenly aware of this.

"Brother, Cheng'er's death was an accident, and we don't want to see it. But eighteen years have passed since the incident, why do you want to mention him at this time? What do you want to do when you come here today? If you and my brother and sister do not join forces today, neither of you can live alone!"

"From the moment Cheng'er died and I chose to withdraw from the court, I had already put life and death aside. ”

Zhao Xinzhi closed his eyes slightly, and took a deep breath, and suddenly changed his words.

"Since you don't talk about Cheng'er, let's talk about Concubine Lan. ”

And when Zhao Xinzhi mentioned Concubine Lan, who had been deceased for many years, whether it was Cheng Yan, who was his brother, or Emperor Zhou, who was haunted by Concubine Lan's death back then, they all showed strange expressions.

It's just that the former is sad about the unexpected death of his sister, while the latter is more of a complex feeling that is difficult to fathom.

A heavy haze enveloped his eyebrows, and red blood crept up his eyes......

No matter how you look at it, Emperor Zhou at this moment is not just a simple mourning and grief for Concubine Lan.

"Your Majesty has dreamed back at midnight in the past twenty years, has you ever thought of Cheng'er like the old minister, and remembered her resentful, blood-filled eyes when she was poisoned?

"Poison?"

Thinking of the description of Concubine Lan's bizarre death that Concubine Hui told her, Cheng Jinzhi's eyes turned slightly, and he couldn't help but ask the doubts in his heart.

"When Concubine Lan's body was found, didn't she hang herself?"

"Hanged yourself?" Zhao Xinzhi smiled coldly when he heard this, "too." In order to cover up some unspeakable secrets, of course, it is necessary to make up a bizarre and daunting rumor. ”

He said unhurriedly, the smile on his lips gradually closed, and he looked at Emperor Zhou's eyes suddenly sank, and his eyes were blazing like fire.

"The inner courtyard of this palace is heavily guarded everywhere, and it is simply an impenetrable cage. The harem concubines and the prince died mysteriously in the dormitory, and they were able to do so unaware when they made a move, and they could hide the truth and control the direction of public opinion afterwards...... There was no one but the owner of the palace. ”