On the tenth day of October, the southern guards in Fanlin Temple have been lurking. Zhuo Yijia, Zhao Fengyao and all the ministers under his command extradited 10,000 southern troops from the secret passage and arranged them in the palaces of each family. Among them, the most arranged by the military department is Shangshu, in addition to inserting the five cities of the Terracotta Division, there are also people who are monitoring the mansions of the ministers who are close to the Ming Xian Emperor.

On October 15, Zhuo Yijia once again handed the palace a fold to invite the troops to go out. This matter was clearly promised by the emperor, but she was not allowed to leave the imperial order of Beijing.

On October 15, Emperor Ming Xian read the folds presented by Zhuo Yijia, and then put it down gently, holding his eyebrows and not commenting.

After a few moments, he got up and walked towards the outside of the East Pavilion.

"Axi, you don't have to follow." When Emperor Ming Xian walked out, he said loudly. stopped the footsteps of the accompanying father-in-law.

"Yes." Father-in-law Xi responded, and then stopped, watching Emperor Ming Xian walk out.

The autumn breeze is bleak. This is especially true in the cold palace.

Emperor Ming Xian bypassed the fallen leaves, held a bunch of begonias in his hand, and walked towards the cold palace.

In the deepest part of the cold palace, next to a bamboo forest, a stone building stands next to the deserted wall. The guards of the stone tower wore armor, and when they saw Emperor Ming Xian coming, they stood up one after another.

Emperor Ming Xian walked inside, and the red plum blossoms leaned against the corner of the courtyard surrounded by high stone walls. The dry branches have no leaves at all.

Emperor Ming Xian walked straight to the stone tower, and the sound of iron cables echoed in the silent world. He walked into the stone tower, and the dim candlelight inside made him frown. Then he turned around and walked towards the stairs above the stone wall.

Before I got upstairs, I heard the sound of chanting inside.

Emperor Ming Xian walked straight upstairs, and his eyes swept over the white-haired woman who was kneeling on the futon while twisting the Buddhist beads and chanting.

He walked to the desk next to him, took out the wilted flowers in it, put them in the white porcelain plate on the side, and inserted the begonias that were just right in his hand.

Plugged in, Emperor Ming Xian turned around, his eyes swept over the things in the room, and finally landed on the open window: "Recently, the temperature has dropped suddenly, and you have opened the high window all day long, beware of catching a cold." ”

Tong Yao knelt on the futon, silently twisting the Buddha beads, closing her eyes, her face was light but beautiful. It is like an immortal who has fallen into the mortal world, without desire, desire and concern.

After finishing speaking, Emperor Ming Xian walked to the table and sat down, he looked at the begonias on the desk, and poured himself a cup of tea: "In a few days, these flowers will probably be gone." As he spoke, he took a sip of the tea on the table, and said, "When the time comes, your favorite red plum can be inserted on the table every day." ”

Tong Yao still chanted the sutra slowly, knelt on the futon, and reverently twisted the Buddhist beads, without saying a word.

Emperor Ming Xian was also used to getting along like this, and he put down the teacup in his hand. Then he said to himself: "You like Hongmei because of Shu'er?" ”

When the word 'Shu'er' came to the word, I felt that the scriptures that Tong Yao was reciting were paused, and they quickly resumed and continued to recite lightly.

Emperor Ming Xian stretched out his hand to hold the teacup on the table, turned around, his eyes fell on Tong Yao, and said, "There is one thing that I have never told you. ”

Tong Yao was still chattering and chanting, and Emperor Ming Xian also opened his mouth calmly: "Shu'er is back." ”

Tong Yao's body stiffened, and the twisted Buddha beads in his hand fell to the ground. She turned her head suddenly, and a silver thread was thrown out of a beautiful arc by her.

She looked at Emperor Ming Xian, stared, couldn't care about the Buddha beads that fell on the ground anymore, clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, looked at the man sitting in front of her, opened her mouth, and her lips trembled slightly.

"She came back eleven years ago." Emperor Ming Xian looked at Tong Yao, and said softly in a calm voice: "She came back to avenge her father and emperor for you, and wanted to take the throne." Probably trying to kill me, too. ”

Emperor Ming Xian said, narrowed his eyebrows, looked down at the teacup on the table, he turned around, and said: "Back then, you gave her your soul, and for more than ten years, you were waiting for this day." ”

She spent ten years winning over the people who could be used by the imperial court, cultivating party henchmen, supporting cronies, and cultivating useful people. In order to control the army of northern Liao, she went to the north alone to personally lead the troops to fight, regain the lost territory and crusade against the Western Qi. Raising soldiers to lurk for ten years, just waiting to kill me for revenge. Emperor Ming Xian said, turned his head, looked at Tong Yao, who was kneeling on the futon, clenching his hands, shaking his head and smiling dotingly: "She still thinks I don't know anything, but it's all for her mother that she just opened her eyes and closed her eyes as if she didn't see it." ”

Emperor Ming Xian said, paused, and turned his head to look at Tong Yao: "I know her every move over the years, but she doesn't know that I have secretly transferred 200,000 troops from Huaichuan to Beijing, and I am waiting for her to force the palace on the twenty-second day of next month." ”

Tong Yao's heart lake was like a dead pool, as if it had fallen into a mountain, and the water splashed and panicked and at a loss. She knelt on the futon and fell forward, she stretched out her hands and pressed them on the ground, propping up her crumbling body, and then tilted her head to look at Emperor Ming Xian: "You...... How about her? ”

The voice that had not been spoken for many years was hoarse and old. It can't be compared to her beautiful face in the slightest.

Emperor Ming Xian put down the cup in his hand, turned around and took two steps forward, lowered his body, helped Tong Yao who was propped up on the ground, patted her sleeve, and said in a casual and gentle voice: "What do you want me to do?" ”

Tong Yao let him pat his sleeves for himself, and when he heard this, he turned his head, looked at Emperor Ming Xian, and said slowly in a trembling voice: "You can do what I want you to do?" ”

Emperor Ming Xian frowned and didn't answer, just changed her sleeve and gently patted the dust on it.

Tong Yao leaned over, looked at Emperor Ming Xian with his eyebrows, and said in a trembling voice: "I want you to let her go, I want you to give her everything she wants." ”

Tong Yao paused, and said in a hoarse voice: "I will go out of the palace with you and be with you." ”

Emperor Ming Xian patted Tong Yao's sleeve, and then gently put her hand down. looked up at her, stretched out his hand, straightened her silver sideburns, and said softly, "Okay." ”

After finishing speaking, Emperor Ming Xian got up and walked towards the stairs. Walking to the top of the stairs, he stopped. Didn't speak, didn't turn back.

Tong Yao knelt on the futon, looking at his motionless back, the hands on her knees tightened, and the green tendons on the back of her skinny hands exposed her anxiety and panic.

Autumn light shone in through the high windows, and the room was bright and dim. The begonias inserted on the desk are full of clouds.

After a long time, Emperor Ming Xian turned his head and looked at Tong Yao: "I promise you, but I don't want you to be forced out of the palace with me." You can choose to leave the palace with me, or you can choose to stay and live with Shu'er. ”

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and tapped the petals of the begonia on the desk.