Ji Xia Mo left the inner hall after following the emperor, and prepared a melon and fruit wine banquet on the top of the observation tower, the palace lamps were lit and the plum blossoms in the garden became more and more delicate, and the scattered snow 'flowers' wrapped the palace in silver, just like the cold ice and plum snow scene painted by the painter.

The emperor appreciates the plum blossoms and drinks the kings around their knees, accompanied by the queen and the concubine on both sides, it seems that the wife and children are harmonious and happy, but in fact, it is difficult to know the sincerity.

Ji Xia Mo was picky about the pastries on the plate, and secretly laughed that Ji Ye was not sentimental, if Ji Ye's wife and concubines were full of children and grandchildren, he was afraid that he would have to plan and plan and stage a thrilling house fight.

The jujube core smashed into Ji Xiamo's sleeve robe, and Ji Xiamo turned around and saw Qin Yan beckoning. At this time, the fireworks are set off, and the colorful fireworks reflect the snow flowers in full bloom, attracting everyone's attention.

Ji Xia Mo picked up the brocade robe and got up, and quietly withdrew from the table after saying something to Ji Ye. Ji Xia Mo followed Qin Yan out of the watchtower and walked to the deserted Imperial 'Flower' Garden.

"You're the commander of the internal guard, and you're running away." Ji Xia Mo shook off the snow on his shoulders and leaned in front of the porch to laugh at Qin Yan.

"The commander of the internal guard talks about majesty, but in fact, he is idle." Qin Yan took out a food box from his sleeve and handed it to Ji Xiamo. "The royal kitchen's special lotus seed cake is usually only for the emperor."

Ji Xia Mo twisted the lotus seed cake and tasted it, the soft and glutinous taste of the lotus fragrance was sweet, and it was indeed much more delicious than the palace banquet. "You even dare to steal the emperor's food."

"Can you miss me?" Qin Yan rolled his eyes as he held the food box. "This is a reward from the emperor the day before yesterday, and I am reluctant to eat it and leave it for you."

"I know that you are good to me, and it is not in vain that I once covered you." Ji Xia Mo said with a smile.

"You're really stupid to me, it's you who bullied me." Recalling the nonsense of his youth, Qin Yan couldn't hide his smile.

The lotus seed cake aroused Ji Xiamo's appetite, and Qin Yan was afraid that Ji Xiamo would accumulate food, so he would put away the rest. "You bring the lotus seed cake back to the house, and I will send it to you if you want to eat it in the future."

"You didn't say that it was only for the emperor, you don't really steal it." Ji Xiamo took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands.

"I can't steal the lotus seed cake, but I can still level the imperial chef who makes the lotus seed cake." Qin Yan glanced at the snowy night outside the porch, took off his cloak and draped it on Ji Xiamo.

Ji Xiamo saw that Qin Yan was only wearing a black and gold internal guard robe, frowned and wanted to refuse, but Qin Yan forced Ji Xiamo to tie it, "I am a martial arts body, but I am more frost-resistant than you." ”

Qin Yan showed Ji Xiamo his internal strength to breathe, and Ji Xiamo moved Qin Yan's kindness and did not refuse. "I have friends from the rivers and lakes who are coming after the year, and I will introduce them to you when the time comes." Thinking of Chu Lingyun and Fang Lin Jun, Ji Xiamo said to Qin Yan.

"Which way of the rivers and lakes friends." Qin Yan asked.

"The leader of the Jianghu Alliance, Chu Lingyu, the Holy Hand of the Hidden Dragon, Fang Lin Jun."

"Although I have never traveled to the rivers and lakes, I have heard a little about the rivers and lakes, and these two people are masters in the rivers and lakes." A bright light flashed in Chu Ling's eyes. "I'm going to try it out against them."

"Now that the imperial city is in turmoil, Chu Lingyun and Fang Lin Jun have complicated backgrounds, and they still need to hide their identities at that time."

"I understand that." Qin Yan patted his chest and promised.

Ji Xiamo chatted with Qin Yan, feeling that Ji Ye would be worried if he had been away for too long, and Ji Xiamo was ready to return to the watchtower.

Just when Ji Xiamo was about to go back, he suddenly heard a scream from the Royal 'Flower' Garden. Qin Yan decisively drew his sword to protect Ji Xiamo, Ji Xiamo stared at it, and sobbing sounded in the dark Imperial 'Flower' Garden.

Ji Xiamo walked towards the sobbing, and Qin Yan followed closely behind Ji Xiamo. Bypassing the rockery pavilion, I saw the palace 'waiter' and 'girl' lying on the ground, covering her face and crying.

The oil-paper lantern flickered with dim candlelight, and through the candle flame Ji Xia Mo saw that in the lotus pond, there was a 'female' corpse floating in the ice and snow.

Ji Xiamo's eyes were suddenly sharp, the 'female' corpse was also a palace 'waiter' and 'female', her hair was scattered and her skin was bruised, and there was a vague bloody mouth on her neck, as if she had been brutally cut off by a sharp weapon.

Qin Yan dragged Ji Xiamo behind him, and shouted in a cold voice, "Someone!" ”

The palace guards broke the ice and salvaged the 'female' corpse, the lights and candles were lit in the deserted royal 'flower' garden, and the internal guards monitored and guarded the surroundings, and the momentum was tense and heavy.

The body of the 'female' corpse was bruised and stiff, her hair in the palace dress was covered with ice slag, and her eyes were violently open and she did not blink. Qin Yan frowned and looked at the 'female' corpse, and said in a suppressed voice: "This is the 'maid' and 'female' in the queen's palace." ”

Ji Xiamo approached the 'female' corpse and squatted down, checking the characteristics of the corpse, "The muscles and flesh are stiff and the joints are fixed, and there are no corpse spots in the ice lake where the corpse is thrown, and the time of death is roughly estimated to be two hours." ”

"The fatal wound is a sharp cut in the neck, the wound is rough and uneven, and the murderer is not a person who practices martial arts."

"Except for the fatal wound to the neck, the deceased had no other external injuries on his body that were fatal by a blow, and the murderer had great strength, and it was preliminarily concluded that he was a man."

Ji Xiamo got up and grabbed the handkerchief handed by Qin Yan to wipe his hands, and paced around the lotus pond, "According to the wounds of the deceased, the murderer should have attacked from behind, this is the point of the crime." ”

Ji Xiamo toe away the snow beside the lotus pond, and the dark red blood 'color' has been frozen into ice. Qin Yan frowned and ordered the internal guards to "block the Imperial 'Flower' Garden, store the corpse, and wait for the emperor to dispose of it." ”

"Yes!!"

"Commander Qin!" The inner guard ran into the Imperial 'Flower' Garden to salute. "Something happened to the emperor."

Qin Yan's pupils tightened, and Ji Xiamo walked over quickly, "Qin Yan!" ”

Qin Yan returned to his senses and hurriedly ordered the internal guards, "Leave four people to guard, and the remaining internal guards will follow me." ”

"Yes! Commander Qin! ”

When Ji Xiamo and Qin Yan rushed back to the inner hall, hundreds of officials gathered to hold their breath and were silent, and there was no emperor in the inner hall.

Ji Xiamo walked up to Ji Ye and asked for details in a low voice, "Dad, what's wrong." ”

Ji Ye dragged Ji Xiamo to a no-man's corner, shook his head and sighed, "Just now I watched the fireworks from the lookout, and the queen left for a while, and somehow fainted." ”

"After waking up, he was crazy and demonic, shouting that there was a ghost, the emperor left in anger, and the queen was forced to take him back to the harem."

Ji Xia Mo's eyebrows furrowed, the 'female' corpse in the lotus pond of the royal 'flower' garden, and the queen's bump into the 'ghost', these things seem to be in a hurry for tonight's palace banquet, which is too coincidental.

Ji Xiamo's eyes scanned the inner hall, and he couldn't see Qin Yan left and right, Ji Xiamo was worried that Qin Yan would collide with the emperor, so he thought about it for a moment and turned around and quietly walked out of the inner hall, inviting the internal guard to whisper, "Hurry up and tell Qin Yan that you must not mention the corpse case of the 'girl' in the lotus pond of the royal 'flower' garden to the emperor tonight." ”

The internal guard followed Qin Yan to see Ji Xiamo, and after listening to Ji Xiamo's instructions, he nodded and said, "Yes, my subordinates will immediately inform Commander Qin." ”

Ji Xia Mo followed Ji Ye to wait in the inner hall, and about half an hour, the prince next to the emperor came to announce the decree, and the palace banquet ended early, so that the hundred officials left the palace and returned home.

After the hundred officials knelt down to thank the holy grace, they all left in a panic. The emperor was furious when this incident occurred in the palace, and if anyone touched the moldy head, I am afraid that it would be difficult to protect the head.

Before leaving the palace, Ji Xia Mo and King Xian met on a narrow road, and King Xian's eyes were 'yin' and looked at Ji Xia Mo coldly, and sneered, "I heard that the eldest son of Ji is clever and brilliant, when will I let this king see it." ”

"King Miao, the virtuous king, praised." Ji Xia Mo bowed his hands and humbled himself. "False rumors and jokes, grass people dare not be."

"Whether it is rumored that the king has his own decision." King Xian stared at Ji Xia Mo for a while, then turned to leave.

"King Xian's brutal 'yin' is not good to deal with, you must not be careful." Ji Ye said worriedly.

"Daddy who has nothing to do." Ji Xia Mo took Ji Ye's arm and smiled. "Let's go home."

"Tomorrow is Chinese New Year's Eve, let your mother make dumplings for you to eat."

"Don't forget the New Year's money, the New Year's money can suppress the mildew of the coming year, and Dad can't be stingy."

"Money 'obsessed'." Ji Ye shook his head and smiled.

After returning home, Ji Ye urged Ji Xiamo to sleep, Ji Xiamo worked hard all day, and his body was tired, and after returning to Meiyuan, he asked Aoki to light the stove and lay down early.

The next day was the thirtieth year of the Chinese New Year's Eve, and Ji Xiamo was worried about Qin Yan in the palace, so he wrote a letter to the General's Mansion. He instructed Qin Yan to suppress the corpse case of the 'woman' in the lotus pond of the royal 'flower' garden, and report it to the emperor after the New Year.

The Prime Minister's Mansion hung up the lantern red satin, Ji Yikui dragged Ji Xiamo to paste the 'door' god, Ji Xiamo held the hand warmer and commanded Ji Yikui, Ji Yikui took the 'door' god and stood on tiptoe, annoyed that her height was not enough.

The sound of firecrackers continued, and the entire imperial city was shrouded in the smell of the New Year. The 'attendants' and 'women' slaves in the Chengxiang Mansion changed into new clothes and joyfully carried the purchased New Year's goods, preparing tonight's Chinese New Year's Eve dinner and ancestor worship.

Ji Xiamo looked at the house, his fingers lightly grasped the ring between his neck, and his eyes flashed with thoughts and sorrows. Another year has passed. ’

On the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve reunion, Ji Xiamo first followed Ji Ye to sacrifice the ancestors of the Ji family, and then ate the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner and kept the New Year.

After the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner of the ancestors, the slaves who were waiting for the night also sat down at another table, which is Su Jingyao's tolerance, and the New Year cannot be reunited, and there is always a hot meal.

Eating steaming dumplings, Ji Xiamo kowtowed to Ji Yikui to greet the New Year, Ji Ye and Su Jingyao smiled and gave red envelopes, Ji Yikui cheered happily, and Ji Xiamo also showed a 'show' smile.

After eating the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, Ji Xiamo was weak, so Ji Ye exempted him from keeping the year and let him go back to Meiyuan to rest.

Dismissed the servants who were waiting, Ji Xiamo put on a cloak and sat down against the 'door' threshold, staring at the red plum in the snowy night, and the longing and loneliness in his heart became stronger and stronger.

Lou Yin appeared beside Ji Xiamo, leaning on the red pillar in front of the corridor with his sleeves folded, and looked at Mei Lin with his eyes, "After the New Year, it is the 'spring' day, and your illness will not recur from time to time." ”

Ji Xia Mo lowered his eyelids, took out a red envelope and handed it to Lou Yin, "Lou Yin, Happy New Year." ”

Unexpectedly looking at the faint smile in Ji Xiamo's eyes, Lou Yin stretched out his hand and took the red envelope slightly embarrassed, "This is ......"

"New Year's money." Ji Xia Mo said with a smile.

"I want money for nothing." Lou Yin said coldly, turned his face away from Ji Xiamo, and said in a very soft voice for a moment, "Happy New Year." ”

"Lou Yin, thank you." Ji Xiamo looked at Lou Yin seriously and said, "Thank you for doing so much for me." ”

"No need to thank me." Lou Yin's eyes did not make contact with Ji Xiamo, and his voice was indifferent. "You are kind to me, not to mention that you are also my apprentice."

"You've helped me a lot, and if I didn't have you by my side, maybe I wouldn't be able to survive now."

"If you really want to thank me." Lou Yin turned his head to look at Ji Xiamo, and his cold eyes seemed to have a streamer lingering. "Then live well."

...... "Ji Xia Mo." Lou Yin, you tell me the truth, Brother Jin...... Is it really alive? ”

Ji Xia Mo sat on the edge of the 'door' sill, looking at the snow under the steps in front of the porch with gloomy eyes.

'I don't know' Lou Yin didn't dare to say it, the belief that could support Ji Xiamo's life was Jin Wuji, Lou Yin was very afraid that this last straw would disappear, and Ji Xiamo would be like ashes.

After a long silence, Lou Yin turned around and disappeared into the plum forest.

"He's dead, I'll bring you back." So until then, please stay alive. q