Upper Beijing.

The court was as noisy and annoying as ever, and Rui Wang Lingxiao's mood was particularly bad.

Today, the entire court seems to be targeting him.

First, Zhang Jian's gang claimed to have found new evidence that he had murdered King Li, and then the household department dug out his old accounts of misappropriating 200,000 taels of disaster relief food, and then ...... It was actually his father who was asking him if he had sent someone to spy on King Qi's mansion recently.

That's a big crime.

There has never been any "Qi Wangfu" in Southern Qi. There is only one mansion called "King Qi's Mansion", which is the ghost mansion that claims to have the best treasures to get the world.

Of course, Ling Xiao sent someone there. But what frightened him the most was not that someone found out about this incident and told the emperor, but that the emperor actually used this matter to question him in public.

Obviously, not long ago, his father and emperor said to him lovingly: This world is all yours.

At that time, his father even discussed with the Queen Mother that when he got married, he would give him the throne and let him complete the great cause of pacifying the four seas.

Such a he, who was treated by his father as a prince and had high hopes, didn't he even have the qualifications to explore that ghost mansion?

secretly probed into King Qi's mansion, and conspired against him.

But that's for someone else. He is almost the prince of Southern Qi, everything in Southern Qi was originally his, what kind of rebellion is he going to King Qi's Mansion to find something!

Unless, the father no longer intends to treat him as a prince.

This discovery made Ling Xiao break out in a cold sweat on the morning of early winter.

Fortunately, thanks to the adaptability he has cultivated over the years, these bad things will not knock him down all at once.

Ling Xiao did not rush to refute, but knelt on the spot and wept bitterly to admit his guilt, and then carefully explained that the night visit to the Qi Wangfu was because a precious Persian cat raised by the concubine in the palace was lost, and the embezzlement of disaster relief food two years ago was due to the imminent war and the shortage of military funds in the northwest.

After explaining these two things, there is no need to say more about another crime: the military budget in the northwest is in short supply, and the third brother does not seek the imperial court but seeks him exclusively, precisely because he and the third brother have a deep brotherly relationship and can trust each other's lives!

With such a deep affection, how could he design to murder the third brother? So this matter is obviously framed by someone, who deliberately killed the third brother and then dragged him into the water, killing two birds with one stone!

Speaking of this, Ling Xiao fell to the ground again and cried bitterly. This time, I didn't cry my grievances, I only cried the third brother.

Zhang Jian and a few old ministers watched this performance and were almost angry with him, pulling their beards and jumping on the court and scolding: His Royal Highness King Li is gone, there is no proof of death, you can push everything on him if you are stinky and shameless, right? You say that if the relationship is good, the relationship is good? You say that he borrowed food from you, and that he borrowed food from you? You're not afraid that he'll crawl out of the coffin and settle accounts with you!

Listening to these scoldings, Ling Xiao's back straightened and he was not afraid at all. Because he knew that his third brother would not climb back from the coffin.

He will only ...... from Yangcheng

Ling Xiao shook his head and shook off this ominous thought, taking advantage of the fact that his father had already reluctantly accepted his words and was about to start to get bored with this endless noise, he wiped his tears and puffed up his chest and spoke in a deep voice, changing the topic of today's court discussion.

"Father," he said in a sad tone, "the son knows that he is guilty of misappropriating disaster relief funds, and he is willing to be punished." It's just that now the life and death of the people of Yangcheng are hanging by a thread, please ask your father and emperor to go to Yangcheng to solve the difficulties of the people, and then return to Beijing to accept the crime! ”

"Go to Yangcheng in person?" Emperor Yirin, "There is a plague in Yangcheng, what are you going to do?!" ”

"Father," Ling Xiao raised his head, and a happy look appeared on his face: "In the past few days, the ministers and the imperial doctors have read all the ancient books, and they have found a good prescription, maybe there is hope to cure the plague!" ”

"Perhaps? Hopeful? The joy on the emperor's face flashed, "In other words, you are not sure!" With such a big risk, and no cure is certain, what do you do? Sent to death? ”

Ling Xiao solemnly kowtowed and fell to the ground: "Father, the 200,000 people in Yangcheng can't give up!" Even if you die, as long as you can have a glimmer of hope to defeat this stubborn disease, Erchen has no regrets! ”

These words were loud and loud, and the court was silent for a while.

Imperial Physician Zheng then knelt down: "Your Majesty, these prescriptions are the result of His Royal Highness King Rui who has been sleepless for several days, and his ministers and others have been studying ancient books in the Tai Hospital and verifying them many times. ”

Thirty percent sure?!

The rotten plague was a knife hanging over the heads of all the people of Southern Qi. Not to mention 30% certainty, even if only 10%, or even 1 in 100 or 1 in 1,000 hope to be cured, it is enough to make people ecstatic!

When the ministers thought of this, they all felt a great stir in their chests. When he looked at Ling Xiao again, he only felt that the image of His Royal Highness King Rui suddenly became taller.

The cure was deliberated under his leadership, and he was willing to risk his life to go to Yangcheng for treatment, which is not only a great achievement, but also a great courage and righteousness!

For the sake of the people of Yangcheng, to gamble on the vitality of the thirty percent with the body of the heavenly nobles and thousands of gold, what a fearless spirit this is!

So the crowd was excited.

Only the emperor had a gloomy face.

This is also understandable, fatherly heart, no one wants to watch their son die.

So Ling Xiao kowtowed again and pleaded, with a crying voice: "Father, it has been nearly half a month since the outbreak of the plague, and the 200,000 people in Yangcheng don't know how many are left!" Those are all the people of Nanqi...... They have flesh and blood, they also have parents and children, they have worked hard to live this life, and they also want to be safe! ”

The emperor was silent for a long time, his eyes were red, and he let out a long sigh.

Ling Xiao fell to the ground and cried: "Father, the son is not afraid of death!" Erchen believes that the Southern Qi Kingdom is prosperous and prosperous, and the sky will refuse to destroy me! I only hated the incompetence of my sons, and it took so much time to find a prescription...... But even if there is only one citizen left in Yangcheng, Erchen has to give it a try! The sons want to tell the people that the court has not given up on them, and the sons have not given up on them! ”

The words were so enthusiastic that most of the people in the hall wept, and no one spoke.

Until, a voice of praise came from outside the temple gate: "Well said! ”

This voice is clearly from the Queen Mother! Ling Xiao was overjoyed.

The Queen Mother used to be very kind to him, but somehow she suddenly became cold recently. Ling Xiao was worried about this matter, and when he heard the queen praise him at this moment, he was naturally overjoyed.

The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty turned around and saluted the Empress Dowager, and the emperor also stood up: "Although the north wind has stopped today, the weather is still cold. How did the Queen Mother get here? ”

The Queen Mother was supported by two palace maids and walked slowly into the palace gate: "The mourning family was originally just passing by, and when I saw Xiao Anzi anxiously burning ants on the pot outside the hall, I was afraid that he would find you and have something to say, so I came over and asked a few more questions." ”

Xiao Anzi is not the emperor's personal attendant, but an errand boy in the imperial study. If something happens to him, it must have something to do with the government.

The ministers were a little nervous, and the emperor hurriedly shouted: "Since there is something, why don't you come in and talk back!" ”

Xiao Anzi immediately rolled in, holding a book in both hands: "Your Majesty, it's Sheng Gongshan......"

Before he finished speaking, Ling Xiao suddenly looked up and saw a girl beside the Queen Mother, and was immediately shocked: "You, you, you...... What are you doing here! ”

That girl was Ruan Qingzhi. Hearing Ling Xiao's question, she slowly raised her head and showed a shallow smile.

Ling Xiao's heart suddenly jumped, and it was as if a window had been shattered, and he suddenly opened up.

He finally understood where the faint apprehension in his heart came from.

As of this point, he hadn't received any news from Yang Cheng for three full days. At first, I thought it was a sudden cold wind that blocked the carrier pigeons, and then I thought that Zhu Heng was too busy to send him a message because he was busy attacking the city, and then I thought that the soldiers should always celebrate...... So the three delays and two delays have dragged it out until now.

Now, obviously, Yangcheng is out of control.

Ling Xiao didn't have time to think about the cause and effect, so he pointed at Ruan Qingzhi and scolded sharply: "Aren't you in Yangcheng?" How did you come back? You...... You're going to bring the plague back? You're going to destroy Shangjing...... Destroy Nanqi! ”

As soon as these words came out, the hall was in an uproar, and some officials who were standing closer had already begun to quickly retreat and dodge, and there was no official etiquette at all. Only Cheng Luan Wenguang in the imperial history looked at Ruan Qingzhi dumbfounded, and he was hit and stumbled without realizing it.

Ruan Qingzhi didn't seem to see the embarrassment of the ministers. She only looked at Ling Xiao and smiled: "It turns out that His Royal Highness King Rui still doesn't know?" The plague in Yangcheng has been cured by me. ”

The ministers were all sluggish, like geese hanging by the neck.

The emperor, who was about to sit down, stood up again and exclaimed, "What did you say? ”

Ruan Qingzhi walked out from the Queen Mother's side and saluted: "Congratulations to the emperor, the catastrophe of the plague in Yangcheng has passed, and the 200,000 people have been saved." ”

"Do your ......best," the emperor stammered in fright, "what does it mean to be preserved as much as possible?" Not a single person died from the plague? ”

"Nope." Ruan Qingzhi replied calmly, "On the second day of the outbreak of the plague, the people had already prepared a medicine powder to prevent the plague and scattered it all over the city, so in the past ten days, less than 1,000 people in Yangcheng have been infected. The people gathered the doctors of the whole city and recruited the people of the whole city to fight against the disease, and the results were gratifying. ”

The emperor was stunned for a long time, and slowly lay down on the dragon chair: "Less than a thousand people are infected, all are all right?" ”

Without waiting for Ruan Qingzhi to answer, Imperial Doctor Zheng had already rushed out: "That's impossible!" Rotten sores and plagues will die, and there is no prevention or cure! You said you could prevent and cure it, unless—there was no plague in Yangcheng at all! ”

When the ministers heard this, their color changed at the same time.

Sores were a common disease, and even without the plague, it was not uncommon for nearly 1,000 of the 200,000 people in a city to suffer from sores.

So, they were scammed?

The ministers were a little embarrassed, and the emperor was even more ashamed than everyone else. He sat up straight and stared at Ruan Qingzhi coldly: "You give me a word of truth, Yangcheng, is it a plague or not!" ”

"Your Majesty," Ruan Qingzhi calmly said, "The Minnu has just controlled the epidemic and ensured that there will be no new patient infections, and those who have been infected are still seventy or eighty who have not been completely cured and are still living in the Laigui Inn bought by the Minnu." Whether it is a plague or not, please ask the imperial doctor to go to Yangcheng to take a look. ”

Imperial Physician Zheng hurriedly retreated and waved his hand again and again: "No, no, no, no......"

"You don't dare go." Ruan Qingzhi looked at him, "You don't dare to go, that means that not only do you believe that the outbreak of the plague in Yangcheng is more certain than me, right?" ”

"Miss Ruan, what do you mean by that?" An old minister next to him asked urgently.

Ruan Qingzhi sneered slightly: "What do you mean, I'm afraid it's a long story." When Your Majesty is gracious, we can speak slowly. ”

The emperor looked at Ruan Qingzhi and didn't speak for a long, long time.

Ruan Qingzhi was not in a hurry, just stared at Imperial Physician Zheng, and said in a voice that could be heard by the courtiers: "You are an imperial physician with high moral integrity, of course you are qualified to question me." It just so happened that the carriage I was in when I entered the palace was still waiting outside, and I will send someone to send you on the bus and go straight to Yangcheng in a while, and you can be regarded as your old man's contribution to the plague, how about it? ”

"No, no, no...... I believe it's the plague, I believe Yangcheng is the plague! Imperial Physician Zheng retreated again and again, and when he saw Ruan Qingzhi walking towards him, he was so frightened that he screamed loudly: "Don't come here!" ”

Ruan Qingzhi felt a little bored, and walked towards Rui Wang Lingxiao again, but the latter also did not retreat.

Ruan Qingzhi patted his sleeve and smiled even deeper: "His Royal Highness King Rui, this Imperial Doctor, you two are a little afraid of death!" Since he was so afraid of death, how could he dare to say that he would go to Yangcheng to treat 200,000 people in person just now? You can't deceive the emperor, right? ”

The two of them were speechless, Ruan Qingzhi smiled stiffly, and his voice was raised: "You keep saying that you are not afraid of death and want to go to Yangcheng, but you don't dare to approach me who came back from Yangcheng, why is this?" In fact, it's not that you're not afraid of death at all, but you have already thought that Yangcheng was burned and there are no tiles left, so you dare to pretend to be righteous here, right? ”

"Ruan Qingzhi, you are not the only one in the world who is not afraid of death!" Ling Xiao gritted his teeth and approached her: "This king is not afraid! ”

Ruan Qingzhi greeted him, his smile unchanged: "You are not afraid, it is because you caused the plague in Yangcheng, you can be roughly sure that it is not very contagious, right?" ”

The ministers changed color again in shock, and everyone felt a little out of breath.

Ling Xiao retreated again and again, and his face changed greatly: "Above the court, how can you be allowed to talk crazy!" Jin Wuwei! Don't fork this out yet! ”

Jin Wuwei and a few soldiers looked at him, and then at the emperor, but they didn't move.

The emperor looked at Ruan Qingzhi, and his voice was a little hoarse when he spoke again: "Yangcheng is indeed a plague?" ”

Ruan Qingzhi bowed his head again: "It's true. ”

"Can it be cured?" The Emperor asked again.

Ruan Qingzhi replied again: "It can be cured." Therefore, I want to congratulate the emperor, the Southern Qi country is prosperous and prosperous, and the emperor is deeply blessed, and the people of the world will no longer have to smell the sores in the future. ”

"Haha, good!" The Emperor finally smiled, and then burst out laughing.

Only then did the ministers remember that overcoming the plague was a great joy, and they laughed as busy.

It's just that there are a lot of people who laugh extremely hard.

For most people, joy is real, and worry is real.

The other part of the population worries about too many things, and that little joy is simply not enough to support them to laugh.

There were even some people who didn't even have the slightest sense of joy, and just wanted to find an opportunity to stab Ruan Qingzhi in the back.

Therefore, in the full hall, it seems that the emperor's smile is the most real.

At this time, the Queen Mother had already sat down on the side seat next to the dragon chair, looked at the emperor and reminded: "Qingzhi is a great hero, and she has been running all the way back from Yangcheng to report the good news, why do you still tell her to kneel?" ”

When the emperor heard this, he hurriedly said "negligence", and immediately ordered the chamberlain to bring a chair for Ruan Qingzhi.

At this time, it was too late to move the chair to the inner hall, so the inner attendant easily moved the one that Ling Xiao was sitting on before. Ruan Qingzhi did not shirk, thanked the emperor and sat down calmly.

The emperor leaned forward and looked at her on the dragon case, his expression was unprecedentedly kind: "Who came up with the prescription for the plague?" ”

Ruan Qingzhi said calmly: "It was formulated by me and the doctors in Yangcheng after thinking about it together and trying it out many times. Of course, I was the one who gave the initial idea and finally made up my mind, and I have the most credit! ”

As soon as these words came out, a few old ministers who stayed out of the matter couldn't help laughing.

Imperial Physician Zheng mocked loudly: "I can't forget to give myself credit!" ”

Ruan Qingzhi glanced back at him: "Why can't I show my merits?" You want to show yourself a good job, do you? Since the sour gas is so big, why don't you ask Your Majesty to give you a chance? - You immediately rushed to Yangcheng, and asked the remaining patients to stop my medicine and use your prescription to treat them, and see if they died? ”

Imperial Physician Zheng almost made her angry, and she wanted to turn back and ask her colleagues for help, but she saw that several of the old adults nearby showed expressions that they couldn't bear to look at directly, and even those who were friends with him in the Hanlin Academy couldn't help but shake their heads.

Other children are called straightforward, fast, naïve and sincere, you are an old man next to you, you are not ashamed!

Obviously, the emperor also felt very embarrassed, and unceremoniously threw a sentence to Imperial Physician Zheng: "Your prescription is only 30% sure, and it has not been verified, so don't take it out and kill my people in Nanqi!" ”

Imperial Doctor Zheng was anxious, angry, and ashamed, and pleaded guilty again and again with his head touching the ground.

The emperor was not interested in talking to him more, but still looked at Ruan Qingzhi again, and his expression became more and more kind: "I didn't expect that this Yangcheng disaster, it was your little girl who turned the tide!" It wasn't easy, was it? Why don't you send a message back earlier, although I don't have any useful hands to give it to you, at least I can send some medicinal materials and money to make your life more comfortable! ”

Ruan Qingzhi smiled and arched his hand: "Your Majesty cares about the people, this is known to the world." The people of Yangcheng originally wanted to ask the court for help, but this time the plague broke out suddenly, and the closure of the city was even more sudden. The people had barely come to their senses, and the gates could not enter or leave. ”

The emperor was thoughtful when he heard this.

Luan Zhongcheng suddenly asked: "You said 'the closure of the city was more sudden'?" How sudden? ”

Ruan Qingzhi didn't know this old man, but he felt that this sentence was very timely, so he hurriedly turned around and smiled at him, and replied, "As far as I know, it will take about a day or two to walk from Shenggong Mountain to Yangcheng. But in this accident, from the time when the pair of ancestors and grandsons broke through the city gate with illness, to the blockade of Yangcheng by the soldiers of Sheng Gongshan, the period of time added up to less than twelve hours. So I've been wondering that unless the Sheng Gongshan soldiers flew over with wings, they must have known in advance that the plague would break out. If you add in the time for the deployment of troops to arrange food and grass, it is even more wrong. ”

In this way, the time when the Shenggongshan garrison set off for Yangcheng was even earlier than the pair of ancestors and grandchildren who broke through the city gate and entered the city!

The problem behind this is huge.

How could anyone know in advance that the pair of ancestors and grandchildren who were suffering from the plague were going to break into the city gates? And who notified the soldiers of Sheng Gongshan in advance? Could it be that the plague in Yangcheng is not a natural disaster, but a ......

When Ruan Qingzhi accused Ling Xiao of spreading the plague before, everyone could barely comfort themselves and said that the little girl was unscrupulous. But now that the suspicions have been raised, the plague in Yangcheng really has the possibility of being spread artificially, and it is not something that can be explained by "girls are young and ignorant".

Everyone couldn't help but think of the previous dispute again, and looked at Ling Xiao in unison.

Ling Xiao's face turned pale, and his eyes widened: "What are you looking at this king for?" How does this king know about the matter of Yangcheng! ”

"Of course Your Highness knows!" Zhang Jian sneered, "Isn't the garrison of Sheng Gongshan exactly what you ordered to be transferred to the siege?" Xia Guan remembered that at that time, His Majesty had just received an urgent letter about the outbreak of the plague in Yangcheng before the early dynasty, and you claimed that you had already mobilized troops to surround Yangcheng the day before. ”

Ling Xiao hurriedly said: "That's the king's carrier pigeon ......"

Military orders cannot be passed on by carrier pigeons. Ling Xiao added: "This king sent a message to Zhu Heng with a carrier pigeon, he made arrangements in advance, and set off as soon as the order arrived, of course, quickly!" ”

This statement did not clear his suspicion.

Even if his explanations were true, the timing would still not be right.

A piece of news was sent from Yangcheng with carrier pigeons, and then from Shangjing to Shenggong Mountain, which took about a day.

Therefore, no matter how it is calculated, the garrison of Sheng Gongshan should not have appeared in Yangcheng on the second day of the accident.

Moreover, Ruan Qingzhi added a sentence without being salty: "When the city was besieged, there was no plague outbreak in Yangcheng!" It's just a pair of grandchildren with rotten sores entering the city, causing panic among the people! So later, the people admired the soldiers who besieged the city, and they all said that they could predict the prophet! ”

No one in the court believed in any "uncertain prophets".

I don't know who said in the corner: "Sheng Gongshan, I'm afraid that the water is very deep!" ”

"Sheng Gongshan," the emperor who had been muttering suddenly raised his head, "Spread the word, summon Sheng Gongshan to Zhu Heng into Beijing!" ”

At this time, Xiao Anzi, the eunuch of the imperial study who had been left out in the cold next to the dragon case, finally interjected: "Your Majesty, the commander of Sheng Gongshan Zhuheng sent an urgent letter. ”

The emperor only remembered him at this time, and immediately became angry: "Since it is an important matter, why didn't you say it earlier!" I thought you were dumb! ”

Xiao Anzi didn't dare to defend himself, so he hurriedly lifted the chapter and presented it to the front of the case, kneeling down to ask for guilt.

The emperor himself knew that it was not the eunuch's fault, so he snorted coldly and spread the chapter on the dragon case.

The civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty stretched their necks at the same time, among which the Rui Wang Lingxiao was particularly prominent.

This piece is about his life. After a while, listen to what the music says, and be sure to pick up your spirits and adapt to the situation......

Ling Xiao was thinking like this, when suddenly a black shadow flashed in front of him, and it was the piece that flew straight above his head.

At the same time, the emperor's angry voice was smashed down: "Evil animal! See for yourself! ”