The breeze is gentle, the lotus leaves are flying, and a light boat slides quietly like a dragonfly. Under the silvery moonlight, the foot-long red carp jumped out of the water in fright, and the splashed water droplets were like pearls exuding a warm luster under the moonlight, and fell on Concubine Li's pale and desperate face one by one with the last brilliance. The dark green cloak was scattered on the surface of the lake, like a huge lotus leaf, which was dragged by Concubine Li and slowly sank to the bottom of the lake.

At that moment, Concubine Li was unusually calm, and her mind couldn't help flashing back to the spring five years ago. On the shore of the misty Jiangnan Lake, a handsome man in a gorgeous dress and brocade met an innocent girl who didn't know anything about the world.

"Miss, may I ask if Jiangnan Mei Mansion is around here?" The man's smile was gentle and polite.

"In front of this is the Mei family ancestral hall, so the surname Mei is within a radius of dozens of miles, son, which Jiangnan Mei Mansion are you looking for?" The girl's smile was sly and bright.

The man groaned slightly, and then smiled: "Naturally, it is the Jiangnan Plum Mansion that can weave this smoky brocade on the young lady's body."

The lake gradually overflowed Concubine Li's face, a string of pearl-like blisters overflowed from the corners of her mouth, and she let out a silent sigh in her heart. If she hadn't secretly worn the Yanxia brocade that day, maybe she was still the eldest lady of Meifu, or married a son who was the right person, or secretly made a private agreement with a poor scholar for life. No matter what, she will live a leisurely life with her husband and children, instead of being buried alone at the bottom of this filthy lake and becoming the belly of the fish.

It's a pity that there are no ifs in this world, she only hopes that she won't meet that ruthless man again in the next life. Don't be a manipulated pawn anymore. The corners of Concubine Li's mouth curved slightly, revealing a relieved smile, and her eyes, which were once as bright as stars, gradually closed weakly.

The dim Cining Palace was silent. The fragrant benzoin emitted milky white smoke in the gilded unicorn beast ding, and the queen mother slept very sweetly on the soft pillow of the high bed. A group of eunuchs and Praetorian Guards surrounded this Cining Palace so tightly that not even a single mouse could break through. Empress Guo took a few powerful eunuchs and personal palace maids in the side hall anxiously waiting for news.

After a while, a little eunuch took Empress Guo's token and entered the side hall through the guards. Empress Guo couldn't help but move when she saw him, and immediately waved her hand to let the people around her retreat temporarily.

The little eunuch took the opportunity to step forward and lowered his voice to report: "Tao Yao has succeeded!" ”

"Great!" A gleam flashed in Empress Guo's eyes, and she smiled slightly. He ordered in a cold voice: "The captain of the Praetorian Guard who is in charge of guarding the west gate tonight heard that his surname is Jiang, so let Tao Yao disguise himself and take advantage of the chaos to go out from the west gate." ”

The little eunuch was stunned for a moment, and said, "The four gates are heavily guarded tonight." Tao Yao went to break at this time, but I was afraid that it would be easy to be caught. ”

"You dare to question Hongu's decision?" Empress Guo's bright eyes drooped at him, and the original smug smile had disappeared, leaving only a layer of iceshell without temperature, and the cold gradually spread from her eyes. Even the words reveal a chill.

The little eunuch trembled. Immediately knelt down and kowtowed again and again: "The slave is quick to talk for a while, please forgive the mother!" ”

Empress Guo said impatiently: "Stand down and bring the words of the palace to Taoyao." ”

"Yes." The little eunuch didn't dare to say more, and honestly retreated.

The autumn wind blew lightly into the side hall through the thick curtain that had been lifted, causing the red candles to sway and the curtains to sway. Empress Guo clenched her fists hard, hiding the excitement in her heart. It's really nice to be a chess player and secretly manipulate life and death. It is no wonder that every man craves power in his hands, and with supreme power, he can turn his hands into clouds and his hands into rain. In order to slowly crush those who hate people and those who get in the way like ants.

Outside the Qianqing Palace is the most lively place in the entire palace. The earth-shattering shouts made Zhao Quan tremble and sit still. made Zhu Xian, who was already yellow and in poor spirits, even more gloomy and gloomy. He never expected that the situation that he originally wanted to catch turtles in an urn would become so chaotic, not only did there be countless rebellious ministers and thieves in the court, but there were also many eunuchs and palace maids in the palace who were bought by Zhu Yi.

A group of Praetorian Guards were busily moving the corpses of more than a dozen eunuchs, and the palace maids were tremblingly bringing buckets of water to wash away the remaining bloodstains under the steps.

Zhu Xian frowned and glanced at the corpses of the eunuchs who were carried out, but fortunately, he deliberately paid attention to the names of several stewards and eunuchs when he looked through the account books before. And the group of eunuchs who fell under the steps were all the disciples and grandchildren of those who were on the list of famous stewards and eunuchs. Thinking of this, a layer of cold sweat couldn't help but break out in Zhu Xian's vest, and he couldn't help coughing violently.

The hands and feet of the Praetorian Guards and the palace maids were very fast, and in a short period of time, the dormitory became orderly and majestic again. No one can see that there was a brutal battle here not long ago.

The door of the main hall was vigorously pushed open, and Wu Qifeng, who was wearing a helmet and armor and hanging a sword from his waist, strode in with a cool breeze. Stimulated by the cool breeze, Zhu Xian, who finally stopped coughing, couldn't help but cough again.

Zhao Quan hurriedly stepped forward to stroke his chest and pat his back, and after a long toss, Zhu Xian slowly calmed down. Wu Qifeng took the opportunity to report with his fists in his fist: "Your Majesty, Weichen and the brothers of the Praetorian Guard killed those traitors together, and now Prince Rui and the remnants of his subordinates have fled in the direction of Cining Palace, it seems that they want to seek the protection of the Empress Dowager." ”

Fang Xian's violent cough made Zhu Xian's throat smell of rust come out, and he "snapped" and spit out, but it was actually a mouthful of piercing blood. Zhao Quan panicked in his heart, and shouted sharply: "Quickly pass on the imperial doctor, and all the imperial doctors on duty in the imperial hospital will be transmitted."

"Shut up!" Who knew that Zhao Quan's call had not yet fallen, and he was immediately reprimanded by Zhu Xian mercilessly. Looking at the mouthful of blood, Zhu Xian was also frightened, but as an emperor, he also knew the importance of stabilizing the army's morale at this moment. He blushed his face, gasped heavily, and said viciously: "Whoever dares to speak out will be punished with the same crime as the traitor." Zhao Quanru was suddenly choked by the neck, and the sharp call immediately stopped abruptly.

"How can the rebellious ministers and thieves be worthy of the title of Prince Rui, and the decree will go down to deprive Prince Rui of his title and reduce him to the common people." Zhu Xian then said coldly to Wu Qifeng: "Cining Palace has been surrounded by the queen and people like an iron bucket. You immediately take someone to help the queen capture the traitor Zhu Yi, if the traitor is still stubbornly resistant, you can kill him on the spot. ”

The words "kill on the spot" seemed to be squeezed out of his teeth. It's full of coldness. Wu Qifeng didn't care, he immediately clenched his fists and said in a rough voice: "The minister obeys the order!" ”

Lady Yao entered with a vermilion lacquer plum blossom tea tray, just in time to pass by Wu Qifeng, who strode out. Zhao Quan hurriedly stepped forward to take the tea tray in her hand and asked softly, "Didn't you accompany the queen mother to protect the queen mother in Cining Palace?" How did you get here? ”

Lady Yao lowered her eyes and smiled, and the ruby pendant on her earlobe swayed gently, refracting a strange blood-red light in the bright candlelight. She said gently: "The night is long and dewy." The queen mother was worried that the emperor was not in good spirits, so she specially boiled purple ginseng and snow chicken soup for me to send over. ”

Zhao Quan said quietly: "The queen mother has a heart, but the emperor is unwell in front of her." Do not use it. ”

"Do you need to participate?" Lady Yao showed a touch of disappointment on her face, and muttered: "That's a waste of Niangniang's heart." ”

"Zhao Quan, when did you become the imperial doctor?" Zhu Xian, who was half-lying on the Minghuang Xiang cloud pattern soft pillow with his eyes closed and recuperated, suddenly opened his yellow eyes and said coldly: "Take it!" ”

He knew that using ginseng at this time was tantamount to drinking water to quench his thirst. But now his spirit is no longer good. There must be no negligence tonight. Zhu Yi's eyes were already red, and he was not full of resentment, so that his tone faintly brought a determination to burn jade.

Zhao Quan hurriedly lowered his head and said, "The slave is guilty!" He hurriedly took the white jade lotus bowl in the tea tray, and the tentacles were warm, and the brown purple ginseng snow chicken soup inside exuded a strong ginseng fragrance, which was really full of ingredients.

The temperature of the chicken soup is just right for the mouth, Zhao Quan scooped a spoonful and just sent it to Zhu Xian's mouth, when someone outside the hall suddenly shouted: "Slow! Zhao Quan's men subconsciously paused. Female Officer Yao, who was originally looking at him with a smile, stiffened her face. A gentle smile suddenly condensed on her lips.

Guo Chengsi was covered in blood and held a steel knife that he had snatched from his enemies. He stood at the gate of the palace. He looked very anxious, and shouted loudly as he walked over: "This soup can't be drunk!" ”

Zhao Quan said: "This is the purple ginseng snow chicken soup boiled by the queen's mother, how can you not drink it?" Zhu Xian's heart moved, and anger and fear appeared on his withered face.

Guo Chengsi had already walked in front of Zhu Xian, inserted the steel knife that was still dripping blood back into the scabbard, and after saluting with his fists, he took the white jade lotus bowl in Zhao Quan's hand and put it on the end of his nose and sniffed it. Immediately, he frowned thickly, forced him to look at Female Officer Yao who was half-drooping his eyes, and said slowly: "Since it was made by the Queen Mother's own hands, why was this bowl of soup brought out by Female Officer Yao from Kunning Palace?" ”

There was no problem with this, but everyone in the palace knew that Empress Guo had been guarding the Queen Mother in Cining Palace tonight, how could she go to Kunning Palace to cook any chicken soup with her own hands. It is obvious that Lady Yao is lying, why is she lying at this critical juncture? The reason is coming.

Zhao Quan trembled, immediately smashed the white jade lotus bowl in his hand, and picked up a brass candlestick on the side of the collapse and tightly protected it on his chest as a weapon. A pair of mung bean-like eyes were rolling slightly, vigilantly watching Lady Yao's every move.

Lady Yao lowered her eyes and looked at the brown water marks on the ground crawling like a poisonous snake, and the corners of her mouth showed a touch of regret, after all, it was a failure! The sharp pain churning in her chest and abdomen could no longer be suppressed, she opened her small mouth, and a mouthful of black blood spurted out, and she fell down in despair.

The rapidly blackened corpse of Female Officer Yao was mixed with the pungent smell of blood that made Zhao Quan almost vomit, Zhu Xian's heart fluctuated, and his withered face was so gloomy that he could almost drip water. Thousands of precautions, thousands of calculations, but almost at the last moment let the people around him secretly calculate, after a violent cough, he shouted angrily: "Come on, drag out the body of this slut, and break the bones and scatter ashes." ”

"Yes." A large number of Janissaries arrived.

"Wait!" Guo Chengsi shouted loudly, he hugged Zhu Xian's fist, and said: "This person died of poisoning, her body must contain severe poison, it is better to be careful, and cremate directly!" ”

Zhu Xian was silent for a moment, and then waved his hand tiredly: "Just do what General Wu Xian said." ”

"Yes." The Praetorian Guards found the body of a **** female officer who was wrapped indiscriminately around Yao, and carried it away.

Guo Chengsi's tall body shook suddenly, and Zhu Xian noticed that there was sticky blood on Guo Chengsi's body falling down drop by drop. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Heir, you're injured!" He hurriedly instructed Zhao Quan: "Hurry up and pass the imperial doctor to take a look at General Wu Xian!" ”

"No need." Guo Chengsi gasped, found a chair and sat down, and said indifferently: "There is gold sore medicine on the minister's body, and it will be enough to bother Manager Zhao to give the minister a medicine." ”

Zhao Quan was naturally duty-bound, Guo Chengsi took off his shirt, revealing two hideous wounds on his back, and Zhao Quan gave himself medicine in a panic. Zhu Xian was shocked to see it on the side, but he didn't seem to care.

After the medicine was ready, Guo Chengsi put on his coat again, and Zhu Xiancai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Chenghei, fortunately, you came in time." ”

"It's just a fluke." Guo Chengsi sorted out his clothes and explained patiently: "Originally, I wanted to go to Kunning Palace to see if the prince was safe after getting out of trouble, but I saw that Lady Yao actually came out of Kunning Palace with this bowl of things. Although the smell of this soup is strong, it can't hide the strange bitterness inside. At that time, the minister was poisoned by the dart on the prairie, and the poison on the dart exuded this unique smell, and it is said that the name of this poison is Seven Leaves and One Branch."

"Seven leaves and a flower? Isn't that an herb that clears away heat and detoxifies? Zhao Quan couldn't help but interject.

Guo Chengsi smiled slightly and said: "This seven-leaf one-branch flower is different from that seven-leaf one-branch flower, it is a poison mixed with seven kinds of poisonous herbs and one poisonous flower, it comes from outside the plug, which is extremely rare in our Central Plains. As he spoke, he couldn't help but think of the scene when Zhong Ziyuan did not hesitate to test the poison in order to figure out which seven poisonous weeds he was, and he couldn't help but feel a trance on his face.

Zhao Quan didn't notice his abnormality, only smacked his tongue and said: "Good guy, seven kinds of poisonous weeds and one poisonous flower, no wonder the death is so ugly." Then he laughed and said: "However, fortunately, General Wu Xian has a great life, and he can't die if he is hit by such a strange poison!" ”

Guo Chengsi smiled indifferently and said, "That's because I have a good wife who depends on each other in life and death." ”

Zhao Quan was stunned and smiled: "The slave didn't even know that General Wuxian had already married a wife!" ”

"But the one who made the traitor Zhu Yi swoon in the front yard sentenced the only daughter of the Zhong Jinchuan family, Zhong Ziyuan?" Zhu Xian couldn't help but ask. He had only secretly met Zhong Ziyuan once not long ago, so he was very impressed.

"Not bad!" Guo Chengsi said calmly: "Weichen was highly poisonous at the time, and his wife was afraid that Weichen would die soon, so she pointed to the bright moon in the sky as the matchmaker, and Zhu Fei, the son of the King of Shu, as a witness, invited the soldiers of the whole army as witnesses and held a wedding with Weichen.

Zhu Xian couldn't help but sigh when he heard this: "If you have a wife like this, what more can you ask for a husband!" His expression showed yearning and envy. (To be continued.) )