In the distance, the music of the birthday banquet came slowly, as if someone was striking, one sound, and another, like rippling water.

In the shadow of the tree, Liu Wenzhao bowed down and guided the second prince into the hidden rockery in the garden of Yijinfu, and then carefully checked it, and saw that there was no one around, so he shrank his head and entered.

"Steward Liu—" The second prince's voice was cold and sharp, like the sound of a sword slashing across the ground on a cold winter night.

Liu Wenzhao knelt down silently.

The second prince walked around Liu Wenzhao a few times with his hands in his hands, and said with compassion: "Liu Wenzhao! This king has not seen your news in the palace for a long time, I really miss it tightly, and I heard that the old lady of Jiang Ge is also coming today, the queen mother gave marriage to the two marriages today and may not discuss what moths to discuss, so I have to come here today,—— and bother, Steward Liu is very unhappy, right? ”

"The villain doesn't dare!" Liu Wenzhao bowed his head.

"This king's great cause has been planned for many years, silver is indispensable, and the Jin family's arsenal is indispensable, you are a broken child, stand up and say that you can help this king, this king values you and is ambitious, so he will hand you these errands, but you are so uncompetitive - you say, are you not capable enough, or is your loyalty limited?" The eyes of the second prince were like a cold wind blowing on Liu Wenzhao's face, and he seemed to feel that his skin was faintly painful.

He gritted his teeth, tried his best to raise his head, looked at the second prince, and said: "Your Highness is clear, the villain's loyalty to His Highness can be seen!" ”

The second prince sneered, reached out and pressed the top of Liu Wenzhao's head and pressed it hard.

Liu Wenzhao slammed his head on the stone floor, his mouth full of mud and did not dare to move.

The second prince lightly lifted his soft boots and stepped on Liu Wenzhao's cheek. Slowly: "This king hasn't finished speaking yet-do you think this king is soft-hearted and won't touch you as a little housekeeper?" ”

Although the ground is cold, it is not as cold as Liu Wenzhao's heart, but he is silent. only made a look of obedience, and tried his best to justify: "Your Highness, the Jin Family Arsenal is heavily guarded, and the villain does not dare to relax, and he works hard to plot for His Highness day and night!" It's just that this matter is very important, and I hope that His Royal Highness will allow the villain to slowly figure it out! ”

Slowly?! The second prince strengthened his feet: "I can't wait for you to do anything!" within this year. The head of the gold ingot, the talisman of the arsenal, this king must get it. Otherwise, ......", he sneered, bowed his head and said, "Once the Holy Lord is buried, let the eldest prince ascend the throne." I can still be my lord. But you must die. With that, he slowly withdrew the foot that stepped on Liu Wenzhao's face.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Liu Wenzhao got up in embarrassment.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside the rockery, and the second prince was startled.

Liu Wenzhao didn't bother to wipe his face, and quickly flashed out of the rockery.

Xi'er leaned on the outer wall of the rockery, obviously frightened and weak, and suddenly saw Liu Wenzhao with a bruised and muddy face, and was even more frightened. He could only shake his head desperately and dare not make a sound, begging him with his eyes.

Liu Wenzhao's eyes flickered. Glancing around, he reached out and grabbed Xi'er's hair and dragged her into the rockery. He whispered, "It's a maid." No one else. Xi'er, what did you hear? Say! ”

Xi'er's body was like a sift of chaff: "I—I didn't hear anything. ”

The second prince breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Xi'er fiercely.

Xi'er collapsed to the ground, shivering.

Seeing this, Liu Wenzhao said to the second prince: "This girl is a miscellaneous servant in the house, and she will definitely not talk nonsense." Even if she couldn't keep her mouth shut, no one would believe what she said. ”

The second prince slowly, slowly, moved his gaze from Xi'er to Liu Wenzhao: "Oh? I seem to have told you what kind of people have the safest mouths. Have you forgotten? ”

Liu Wenzhao was still a little hesitant: "But ......"

The second prince chuckled: "Haven't you always wanted to show your loyalty to this king?" ”

Xi'er didn't understand what she meant, but then she saw Liu Wenzhao who gritted her teeth and walked towards her, Xi'er suddenly woke up, was shocked, and hurriedly knelt down to hug Liu Wenzhao's leg, and opened her mouth to beg.

However, Liu Wenzhao's hand was like lightning, and he instantly choked Xi'er's neck, closed his eyes, and gradually exerted his strength.

Xi'er stretched out her hand and pulled Liu Wenzhao's hands helplessly, and the voice in her throat was almost unrecognizable: "Please... You, you said ......" her throat gurgled, still looking at Liu Wenzhao with pleading and sad faces.

Liu Wenzhao gritted his teeth and almost turned his head, not noticing that the ring on his hand gradually slipped into Xi'er's hand.

Seeing this, the second prince leaned on the rockery and threw a sentence lightly: "It is said that people can't look at people who are about to die, I don't know if Liu Wenzhao believes in this evil?" ”

When Liu Wenzhao heard this, he had to grit his teeth, his face gradually turned hideous from pity, cold sweat and muddy water, he opened his eyes and looked at Xi'er's pleading eyes, and his subordinates worked hard.

Xi'er's eyes flashed with despair, unwillingness, fear, and then the fear slowly disappeared, and at the end of the day, there was a trace of calm, and she no longer struggled.

Slowly, Xi'er's eyes rolled and she lost her breath.

Liu Wenzhao still grabbed her throat and didn't let go, and his throat was like a beast roaring.

The second prince squinted and looked at it, went up and kicked him gently, "Okay, it's dead, think of a way to bury it, and then clean up yourself." - It's time for the king to take his leave! “

Liu Wenzhao was kicked, but he didn't move, looking at Xi'er's iron green face, there was a trace of madness and ferocity in his eyes, and then he gradually calmed down.

After the second prince left, Liu Wenzhao dragged Xi'er's body into a dark corner and left.

A ring slipped from her hand with the drag of Xi'er's corpse, and it fell to the ground, and the sound was so faint that no one noticed.

After a tiring day, after sending off the guests for the banquet, they all went to bed early, and the house was quiet.

Jiang Xiaoxuan and Yu Qilin came to the guest room where Mrs. Jiang lived, but they saw that the door was empty, and there was a glimmer of light, as if someone was waiting.

The two looked at each other, clasped each other's hands, and pushed the door in.

Mrs. Jiang was wearing homely clothes, sitting on the pear blossom wood soft couch by the window, her head down, and she was not in a hurry or impatient.

The two looked at each other again, stepped forward, and stood in front of Mrs. Jiang, not daring to look up at her.

Mrs. Jiang was not in a hurry, she still drank the tea slowly and carefully, and after tasting a small half cup, she slowly put down the teacup.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaoxuan stepped forward and called softly: "Mother-".

Mrs. Jiang raised her eyes and glanced at her, and suddenly got up. The splitter gave Jiang Xiaoxuan a slap.

Jiang Xiaoxuan covered her face, and the jade qilin hurriedly went up to assist her, and said angrily: "Why do you come up and beat people!" ”

Jiang Xiaoxuan hurriedly stopped the jade unicorn. Shaking his head: "I deserve this slap." ”

Hearing this, Mrs. Jiang sighed, sat down slowly, and stared at Jiang Xiaoxuan with ice-like eyes: "It is indeed what you deserve." I never thought that the daughter of our Jiang family would dare to be so shameless and bold! After that, he turned his gaze to the jade unicorn again: "Who are you?" Look at your birthday party today. It's a pity that she is still a civilian wild girl at first glance, but it is ridiculous that my own mother was deceived by you. You dare to think of yourself as a phoenix! ”

Mrs. Jiang's momentum was pressing, but Jiang Xiaoxuan's jade unicorn calmed down.

Jiang Xiaoxuan frowned slightly, and said softly but firmly: "My daughter is indeed vain, and my daughter is unwilling to be used as a tool for political marriage between you and her father." For the sake of your own happiness. Boldly ran away from marriage. You want to say that this is shameless, and my daughter confessed. ”

Mrs. Jiang looked at Jiang Xiaoxuan carefully and sneered: "Is this the great truth that you want to tell me that coarse tea and light rice are enough?" I don't talk nonsense with you, since you are the daughter of my Jiang family, whether you want to or not, you have to be a tool for this marriage. Tonight, you give me an honest back stay, and tomorrow, you and this wild girl will have to go back to you. ”

"Mother......" Jiang Xiaoxuan plucked up her courage: "Since it has come to this day." You just can't return to your place, and you don't dare to do anything. ”

Mrs. Jiang looked at Jiang Xiaoxuan. The light in his eyes was a little colder: "I don't dare?" ”

"This is a royal marriage, and it is disrespectful to marry on behalf of the nine clans, and it is not good for you to expose it."

As soon as she heard this, Mrs. Jiang was instantly furious, and immediately threw another slap in the face, "You are threatening me with the life of the entire Jiang family!" ”

Jiang Xiaoxuan was beaten back a step, then she slowly stood firm, took two steps forward, quietly, raised her face, "And my own life." ”

Mrs. Jiang squinted her eyes, smiled, and her tone was suddenly gentle: "You kid is talking nonsense, what kind of crime is it to deceive the king?" Our Jiang Mansion and the Jin family are all kept in the dark! Just quietly kill this wild girl who took away my son's marriage, and the rest of you, Jiang Xiaoxuan, will be tied to the Jin Mansion and die in the Jin Mansion! ”

The jade qilin, who had been staring coldly, stepped forward at this time: "Do you dare?" I don't think you dare. If you dare, why don't you say anything in the hall today? Isn't it because he is afraid of His Royal Highness? Xiaoxuan told me, this marriage is to consolidate the power of the prince, I don't care how you big people fight around, today I danced, hundreds of guests also met, even the prince also met, you medicine me casually, I don't believe you can explain the next step. ”

After the jade qilin finished speaking, he waited for Mrs. Jiang's reaction.

Mrs. Jiang squinted and listened, but leaned back in a relaxed manner and sat comfortably. A gust of wind blew through the window, and the tassel on her head was swaying through the peony, swaying gently, making a subtle crisp sound.

After a while, he looked at the jade unicorn gently, but his eyes were still full of coldness: "Whose girl are you?" Vulgar manners and reckless speech, presumably not from everyone's background, right? You took away my family's Xiaoxuan's marriage, and it can be regarded as a good life, so it's better to go on the road with peace of mind. - After the medicine dies to you, I will go into the palace with my mother-in-law to explain my hardships to the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother will definitely understand our Jiang and Jin families for the sake of the overall situation, and when we are then, we will still be in-laws! ”

Jiang Xiaoxuan's heart trembled when she heard this, but she still forced herself to calm down and said: "Mother, it's easy for you to kill her, it's just a sentence that you locked me up in the Jin Mansion, and she and I are now meat on your chopping board, and we can't run far." It's just that the Second Highness visited today, the ambition has appeared, and I saw her face again, do you think at this juncture, the Second Highness will not seize this handle and make a big fuss? ——Do you think that after the Empress Dowager went through this incident, even if she did not condemn herself for the sake of her own face, she would still trust the Jiang family as before? ”

Hearing this, Mrs. Jiang was silent.

The three of them confronted each other in the room, looking at each other.

Suddenly, Mrs. Jiang raised the teacup high, and Jiang Xiaoxuan closed her eyes and waited for her mother to explode.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Jiang slowly put down her hand and took a sip of tea, the cold ice in her eyes seemed to be slowly cracking, but her voice was still cold: "If you know a little court dispute, you think you can really coerce those of us who have been rolling in the wind and waves for decades?" The Jiang family, the Jin family, how many more years of business, can you two yellow-haired girls be trapped? ”

After Mrs. Jiang finished speaking, she got up and walked straight into the inner hall.

Jiang Xiaoxuan's jade unicorn looked at each other, half loud, and had to leave

"Your stepmother didn't say anything after the most embarrassing, she should have been soft, right?" Jade Qilin asked uncertainly.

Jiang Xiaoxuan stroked her cheeks and smiled bitterly: "She is scheming, I can't say for sure." ”

Seeing this, the jade qilin patted her on the shoulder, as if to persuade her, and as if to convince herself: "The truth you told me about the imperial court, the crown prince, and the prince sounds very reasonable!" After you read it, didn't your mother stop talking for a long time? ”

When Jiang Xiaoxuan heard this, she sighed faintly: "That being said...... But you don't know that these strategists can turn their faces at any time, after all, the two of us are too insignificant. She said in a low voice: "What's more, she is my stepmother, she doesn't like me in the first place, and she can sacrifice me at any time for her own interests." ”

When the jade unicorn heard this, his pity suddenly rose: "Although my mother is not my own mother, she regards my life as more important than her own!" ”

The two frowned at each other for a moment.

The jade unicorn suddenly waved his hand and said with a big grin: "Stretching out your head is also a knife and shrinking your head is also a knife, I don't believe that we can't fight your stepmother!" Tomorrow Mrs. Jin will have a banquet for your stepmother, let's see you at the family banquet tomorrow! (To be continued......)