The news that the King of Beiheng was in charge of reinforcements flew all over the Tianjing court and outside like wings. The ministers, who were familiar with those old things, couldn't hold back for a long time, and stepped into the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion in an endless stream.

The Temple of Nourishing the Heart.

Concubine Tang Xian was taking a nap, and as soon as she heard the news, the whole person instantly became extremely sober.

She stopped Father-in-law Lu on the spot, "Now that the emperor is asleep again, who will make up the mind about the affairs of the court?" ”

Gonggong Lu lowered his eyebrows and lowered his head, and replied respectfully: "Niangniang, these are all things from the previous dynasty, you ask the minions, and the minions have no way of knowing!" But ......"

"But what?" Concubine Tang Xian always felt unsteady in her heart. It's just that because she can't leave the Heart Cultivation Hall at will, and there is no absolutely credible person around her, it is much more difficult than usual to find out the news.

Father-in-law Lu said: "However, the slave heard that now the prestige of the prince in the court is extremely high, and many important things are through the hands of the prince. Mother, don't worry too much......"

"You know what?" Concubine Tang Xian's face was tense, and the uneasiness in her heart gradually expanded. She thought for a moment, and then said, "Grandpa Lu, this palace wants to ask you for a favor." ”

Gonggong Lu suddenly said in fear: "Niangniang, you can torture the slave." What do you have to do, just command! ”

Concubine Tang Xian's expression softened a little, and said, "You help the palace invite the prince." Let's just say that there is something important to discuss. If you do this well, this palace will be rewarded. ”

"The minions obey." Father-in-law Lu hurriedly retreated.

Concubine Tang Xian raised her eyes to look, but saw that the curtains in front of her were forested, the palace was cold, and the atmosphere of loneliness and coldness was revealed everywhere.

On that day, not long after the emperor woke up, he fell into a coma again, and even the imperial doctors were helpless. Therefore, in addition to the palace people who are waiting, there are no other idle people in the dormitory, which makes the entire dormitory more and more empty and deserted.

There was a bitter and rich smell of medicine floating in the air, and between breaths, the bitter taste invaded her lungs, and Concubine Tang Xian was choked and coughed repeatedly, with tears in her eyes. She held her waist, slowly walked to the table, looked at the silver spears outside the temple gate, and her eyes were gloomy and anxious.

On that day, when the emperor ordered the blockade of the Heart Cultivation Palace, she happened to be serving in front of the dragon bed. At first, she saw that Du Pingfei was blocked outside the palace gate, and she was still a little complacent. But as time passed, this joy was quickly replaced by restlessness.

The holy decree of "Sealing the Heart Cultivation Temple" was far more stringent than she imagined.

- Except for Gonggong Lu and Xi Lu, none of the palace people in the palace can go out.

And the people in her palace can't be around to serve, and it's inconvenient to do anything.

Many times, she felt like a canary in a cage, not only deprived of freedom to enter and exit, but also cut off from access to the outside world.

These kinds of days are really tormenting!

Now, she only hopes that Gonggong Lu can invite King Beiheng here, so as to solve her predicament. If she continues like this, she will be driven crazy if she is not killed by Du Pingfei.

After Gonggong Lu left and walked out of the Palace of Heart Cultivation, he was walking towards the Imperial Garden, but he met Du Pingfei head-on.

He hurriedly knelt on the ground and saluted, Du Pingfei didn't tell him to get up, and asked directly: "Gonggong Lu, you are not waiting in the Heart Cultivation Palace, why are you running around?" ”

Father-in-law Lu was extremely frightened and said: "Niang Niang Mingjian." The slave was not lazy, but was ordered to go forward to find the prince of Beiheng. ”

"On whose orders?" Du Pingfei was surprised by his calmness, but he asked knowingly.

Concubine Xian, this woman, has been trapped for so long, and finally can't help it?

Father-in-law Lu held the dust tightly, and his posture was as humble as ever. He didn't seem to understand Du Pingfei's words, and confessed: "Hui Niangniang, this is the order of the virtuous concubine, and the slave does not dare to refuse." ”

Du Pingfei smiled, looked in the direction of the Heart Cultivation Palace, and said slowly: "Father-in-law Lu, now the emperor has not yet shown signs of soberness, as the head of the imperial front, you should put the emperor's safety first, and stay in the Heart Cultivation Hall every inch." But now, you put the cart before the horse, if something really happens, can you afford the consequences? ”

With such a big hat buttoned on his head, Father-in-law Lu suddenly couldn't bear it, and begged for mercy with a white face, "Niangniang spare your life." A slave is confused for a moment to make such a big mistake. Please forgive the slave for the sake of the minion's sincerity and loyalty! ”

With that, he was already cowering and kowtowing his head.

Du Pingfei didn't want to embarrass him, so when he heard this, he said: "Since Gonggong Lu understands the stakes, what should you do next, and you don't need this palace to teach you, right?" ”

Father-in-law Lu hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, Niangniang." Slaves know what to do. If Concubine Xian asked, the slave said that he had not met the prince of Beiheng. Naturally, there is no such thing as a follow-up. Mother, look at ......"

His attitude was full of caution, and when he looked closely, he vaguely had a hint of inviting credit.

Du Pingfei didn't answer immediately, her eyes didn't seem to have a landing point, and after a long time, she looked at Gonggong Lu again, lowered her voice and said, "No, Bengong just said it casually just now, and it shouldn't be true." Since it is the intention of the virtuous concubine, you should do what you will. ”

"Niangniang......" Father-in-law Lu couldn't hide his shock, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

Du Pingfei didn't want to explain more, and as soon as the topic changed, he turned to Zhao Pei, "Has the emperor shown signs of waking up recently?" ”

Gonggong Lu is the old man in the palace in the end, and after a short gaffe, he replied: "Back to Niangniang, the emperor has been in a deep sleep and has not improved. This morning, the Imperial Doctor also went to diagnose and treat, but there was no effective method. ”

It stands to reason that the king of a country, no matter who it is, cannot say much outside.

But when Father-in-law Lu thought of Du Pingfei's identity, he also put aside those scruples and said whatever he wanted.

Du Pingfei's eyes flashed slightly, and a strange feeling lingered in his heart inexplicably.

She thought for a while, and then asked: "Father-in-law Lu, these days, this palace has been thinking about it for a long time and hasn't figured it out, is this idea of blocking the Heart Cultivation Palace really from the mouth of the emperor?" ”

As if forgetting the difference between respect and inferiority, Gonggong Lu raised his eyes and looked at her, and said clearly: "Qi Yu Niangniang, when the emperor made this will, the servants were waiting in front of him, and there would be no mistake." If you don't believe it, why don't you wait for the Xi guards to come back and ask them in person? ”

"It's not necessary, this palace believes you." Du Pingfei got the answer he wanted, and he no longer stopped him, but said, "Aren't you still in trouble?" Hurry up and do it, if it's too late, you'll be blamed by Concubine Xian. ”

Gonggong Lu hurriedly bowed and retreated.

Watching his figure go farther and farther, Xiao Yao was a little puzzled: "What do you want to know, why don't you tell me directly?" ”

"You don't serve in front of the palace, how do you know the details of that time?" Du Pingfei put his hands on his sleeves and said as he walked, "However, this Father-in-law Lu is also an interesting ......."

When Xiao Yao heard this, he asked, "Do you believe him?" ”

Du Pingfei glanced at him and said meaningfully: "Xiao Yao, not everyone is like you, who has the courage to go around in circles with this palace. Father-in-law Lu is a smart person, and in the face of the palace's questioning, he can only tell the truth. ”

"I didn't hear what he just said." Xiao Yao said with disdain.

Du Pingfei shook his head, but smiled silently.

Before, she had also knocked on the side of Father-in-law Lu, but that person was also very cunning, and he refused to reveal anything useful no matter what. If she hadn't been caught with the so-called "handle" this time, I'm afraid she wouldn't have said a word of superfluous words.

Fortunately, she has already got the answer she wants.

I'm afraid, Concubine Tang Xian doesn't know what situation she is in, right?

Thinking of this, the corners of her lips were hooked, and her tone was a little happy, and she ordered: "Xiao Yao, you find someone to keep an eye on the Beiheng Palace, and see what they are doing." ”

"However, isn't King Beiheng going to meet with Concubine Tang Xian?" Xiao Yao didn't think that his people could sneak into the Heart Cultivation Palace.

Unexpectedly, Du Pingfei shook his head, "They can't see it." What you have to do is to keep an eye on the father and son outside the palace, and if there is any abnormal movement, the first god will unknowingly stumble on their steps. ”

If it was really Zhao Pei's will, then the guards guarding outside the Heart Cultivation Hall were definitely not vegetarians.

She could almost predict that the two would never have a chance to meet.

Seeing that she was so sure, Xiao Yao didn't refute anything, and silently wrote it down.

And just as Du Pingfei thought, Gonggong Lu invited King Beiheng to the Palace of Nourishing Hearts, but he was stopped outside, and Concubine Tang Xian looked at each other across the Sensen Silver Spear. In the end, the two of them only briefly said a few innocuous words, and then saw King Beiheng hurriedly leaving the palace.

When he learned the news, Du Pingfei only laughed sarcastically, and ordered Xiao Yao to keep an eye on people, and then turned his head to discuss other things with Du Chengyuan.

And after King Beiheng returned home, he directly locked himself in the study.

When Tang Mengqian pushed the door in, he saw his father sitting in front of the table, holding his forehead with his hand, looking worried.

He walked over and was puzzled: "Father, I heard that you have been staying in the study, but what difficulties have you encountered?" ”

Only then did King Beiheng realize his existence, raised his head, leaned back in his chair, and his face was full of exhaustion.

He didn't know what he remembered, and the wrinkles between his eyebrows were a little more, and he asked, "When did you come back?" What's up there? ”

Tang Mengqian thought for a while before he said: "Father, if it is rumored among Beijing officials today, our palace will have Mu Tian's grace, and only then will my father be fully responsible for matters related to sending troops and reinforcements." Some people still wanted to visit their homes, but I refused. ”

"You're doing the right thing." King Beiheng had a trace of gloom in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Now, the emperor has fallen into a coma again, and the Marquis of Dingyuan has gone to the northwest to deal with the snow disaster. At this time, we should only keep a low profile, and we must not make mistakes. ”

Tang Mengqian nodded and was taught, "I understand." ”

King Beiheng asked again, "What do you think about this matter?" ”

"We should be careful." Tang Mengqian stood with his back to the light, his expression was dark and uncertain, and his voice sounded faintly at this moment, and he was a little gloomy for no reason, "Although this matter has been discussed by the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, I always feel that things are not so simple. The contradiction between our palace and Xie Er basically can't be hidden from those ministers. But this errand fell on our heads, and it's hard not to think about it. ”

Hearing this, King Beiheng nodded, which was also what he was extremely puzzled about.

He stood up suddenly, and said with a solemn expression: "Then who do you think will target us like this?" ”

"It's not Queen Du, it's Marquis Dingyuan." Tang Mengqian slammed his fist on the table, and it was difficult to hide the hatred in his eyes, "The left and right are just people from these two sides." Father, who do you think is more likely? ”

King Beiheng was stopped by him, and after a moment, he shook his head and said, "This is not clear yet." The next step is for you to discern. However, no matter who it is, the purpose is to attack our royal palace. The only place that can be used for the other party is probably the increase in troops this time......"

Before he finished speaking, something flashed in his mind, and he said coldly: "No, this matter has nothing to do with Dingyuan Hou." Nine times out of ten, it was Queen Du's idea. ”

"Father, how can you see that?" Tang Mengqian's mind didn't turn around, and he subconsciously asked.

King Beiheng's eyes burst out with raging anger, and he squeezed out words from between his teeth, "Don't forget, the person who led the troops on this expedition was Xie Er, and he was also the young lady of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. No matter how scheming Dingyuan Hou is, he will not do anything about Xie Er's affairs. But Queen Du is not necessarily. ”

Earlier, when he was in Yunzhou, he saw the mismatch between Empress Du and Xie Er. If Queen Du wants to take this opportunity to do such a bad thing, it is not impossible.

Tang Mengqian also thought of this, and immediately gasped, and said in disbelief: "Father, this Queen Du's courage is too big, right?" ”

"Shouldn't you have learned it a long time ago?" King Beiheng snorted coldly and asked about something else, "I asked you to check Chengyuan's origin before, but what did you find?" ”

These days, a man named Cheng Yuan suddenly appeared in the court. He is sleek and shrewd, and he does things without leakage, and in just 10 days, he has won the favor of many ministers in the DPRK and China. He also tried to win over the person, but the other party played hide and seek with him. No matter how much he tempted the temptation, this man was like a pool of water, deep and bottomless, and could not see the bottom of the bottom.

Tang Mengqian's face was a little strange, and under his father's repeated questioning, he said hesitantly: "Father, you may not think that this Cheng Yuan is carrying the identity of the Du family. Originally named Du Chengyuan, he was a businessman earlier, and later attached to Queen Du before he was able to enter the court as an official. ”

"In this way, Empress Du is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and she actually wants to take this opportunity to cultivate the strength of the previous dynasty." King Beiheng said thoughtfully, "Since your sister entered the palace, Queen Du has almost suppressed her to the point that she can't raise her head. Originally, I thought that Queen Du was relying on the emperor's favor, but now it seems that this is not the case. Nine times out of ten, this incident was also Queen Du's idea, Du Chengyuan's secret handiwork. ”

In a short period of time, Du Chengyuan was able to do this job, which was really beyond his expectations.

"If you say that whoever hates our palace the most in the entire Tianjing is Queen Du." After a pause, he continued: "And there are some grievances between Queen Du and Xie Er, if she can take this opportunity to convict our palace and let Xie Er learn some lessons, why wouldn't she do it?" ”

Tang Mengqian gritted his teeth with hatred, "Killing two birds with one stone, it's really a good means." ”

"It can only be said that Queen Du has a vicious mind and is ruthless enough." King Beiheng's voice changed, but he said, "However, she also needs to take great risks in doing so. If you are a little careless, it is Xie Er who is unlucky. When the time comes, it is impossible to say who this fire will burn on. ”

Tang Mengqian's heart moved, and his face instantly filled with joy, "Father, you mean, we can do it?" ”

"You make me think." The King of Beiheng was silent.

If it was an ordinary thing, he would definitely fight back without hesitation. However, this matter is widely implicated, and it is also closely related to the border war. If there is a slight mistake, not only will they not be able to eat and walk around, but they may also delay the military plane, and corpses will be scattered all over the field.

This price is too great!

Although he was eager to get rid of Empress Du as soon as possible, he didn't dare to joke about the border war.

Tang Mengqian saw that he was silent for a long time, and couldn't help but hurriedly say, "Father, what are you worried about?" Now, we can basically know that Queen Du will definitely do something in this matter. Whether we fight back or not, we can't stay out of it. At this time, it depends on who is more ruthless than whom. ”

He could probably guess his father's concerns. But Empress Du has already provoked them nakedly, and they have no reason to continue to tolerate it, both public and private.

"Father, this matter has been decided early." Seeing that his father's face was slightly relaxed, he continued to persuade, "Since Empress Du can do such a thing ruthlessly, she must not have put the lives of the border soldiers in her eyes. In that case, why should we be so careful? As long as we are cautious, we will really settle down when the time comes, and what others will see is her means, and it has nothing to do with us. What are you waiting for? ”

King Beiheng's eyes were deep, and after a long time, he said: "In this case, this matter will be left to you to deploy!" ”

"Good!" Tang Mengqian finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and was about to stride out.

But he didn't want to, King Beiheng stopped him again, opened his mouth, and cautiously instructed him, "The stakes are very high, you must be extremely careful." If you sense that something is wrong, you would rather stop than risk yourself. Also, if you can let your subordinates do it, don't do it yourself. You know, how many pairs of eyes are staring at our ...... in this court?"

Tang Mengqian was a little impatient in his heart, but his face was respectful and obedient, "Father, don't worry. I'm measured. ”

With that, he left in a hurry.

And this conversation in the Beiheng Palace, except for the two people involved, no one knows the full content.

At that time, Xiao Yao was listening to the reports of his subordinates, and when he heard these incomplete news, his eyes darkened, and he reported all the matter to Du Pingfei. Then he said: "That father and son seem to be on guard, let's ...... here."

"Out of the way." Du Pingfei didn't take it to heart, and there was a slight mockery in his expression, "Even if they are on guard, so what?" This is originally a process of calculating and killing each other, depending on whose heart is ruthless enough and whose knife is fast enough. ”

She raised her eyes, looked at Xiao Yao, and said confidently: "Xiao Yao, you have been with this palace for many years, and all along, this palace has been very relieved of you. This time, you won't disappoint Hongu either, right? ”

"Are you using me like a murderous knife?" Xiao Yao's voice was sarcastic, and his voice also lowered, "Queen Mother, I am a little skeptical now, whether it was right or wrong to abandon the pride of men and insist on staying by your side." ”

Du Pingfei's face changed, his hands shook a few times, a few drops of hot water splashed out of the teacup, and the back of his hand suddenly became hot.

She snapped the teacup on the table, absentmindedly wiped the scalded skin, and after a long time, she finally found her voice, "Xiao Yao, are you complaining about the palace?" ”

There was a nervousness in her expression that she didn't even notice.

Xiao Yao didn't look at her, he stared down at the ground, his voice was almost inaudible, "Who knows?" ”

Suddenly, he was in a trance.

In a trance, I remember those years when I was hunted down.

He was originally a member of the Xilu country, but because he offended the rivers and lakes in the Xilu country, he was ordered to be hunted down by the other party. No matter how far he escapes, there will always be people staring at his head.

In those years, he never dared to stop fleeing. I couldn't eat well, I couldn't dress warmly, I couldn't sleep, and I was left to run day and night, so that in the end, I almost died in the deserted valley.

Before closing his eyes, he felt his own blood, warm and sticky, covering his entire face.

He thought he would never wake up again!

But when he opened his eyes again, he had escaped the danger, and the person who saved him was the person in front of him.

At that time, Du Pingfei's eyebrows and eyes had not fully opened, but the background of the Du family was there, and the whole person seemed to be a little more noble than girls of the same age.

He was amazed at her audacity and told him all about his past. Then, he followed her back to Dufu, and since then he has become her personal guard, and has to solve all problems for her.

He didn't want to think about the rest of the matter, and he pretended not to remember how many unknown things he had done for her, so he only said: "Queen Mother, you saved my life, and I promised you that I would protect you thoroughly, so naturally I won't regret it." You can rest assured. ”

Du Pingfei's eyes flashed, and he sighed after a while: "Is this palace giving you too much pressure?" ”

Xiao Yao was silent for a moment before he said, "Niangniang, I didn't question your meaning. It's just that there are priorities, and I don't think that anything can override the major military aircraft. What do you think? ”

When Du Pingfei heard this, he immediately understood what he meant, and hurriedly said: "Are you blaming the palace and joking about the military aircraft?" ”

After a pause, she continued, "Don't worry. This palace is not such a person who has no conscience, so it is naturally impossible to really take the life of the border soldiers as child's play. Moreover, it was a soldier under the leadership of Xie Er, and she would definitely be fully prepared. Even if we can calculate the father and son of King Beiheng, we may not be able to hide it from Xie Er's fox! ”

"What if?" Xiao Yao twisted his eyebrows and said.

"No whatever!" Du Pingfei swore and said, "If there is really a case, this palace will pay for the crime with death." ”

She assures her, but everything in this world is always changing.

Tianjing laid a trap and mastered the measure, but he never expected that Xie Fenghua was not in the army, and the people who took over this conspiracy turned out to be Dou Changke and Yuan Mindong.