The seventeenth year of Emperor Hongyuan of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the imperial city, the Xuanzheng Palace.

The empty hall was silent, the incense of agarwood was slowly burning in the incense burner of gold and silver, the eighteen red sandalwood carved lacquer and gilt relief cloud dragon doors were open, the wind was whining, and the smoke wafting out of the slight cracks on the top of the furnace was hit by the wind and dispersed to the surroundings. The dense bucket under the eaves is like a sky full of stars, which oppresses people breathlessly, and the Hexi color painting on the fang seems to still show the nobility of this hall. Outside, the dreary daylight leaked in through the rhombic doors and windows, and slowly faded on the blooming Persian carpet, as if it were a very delicate flower.

Xiao Jingqing sat on the golden carved dragon wooden chair, his hands on the armrests, the bright yellow dragon robe made his face more and more pale, the crown had been removed at some point, and the crown of twelve white jade beads hung haphazardly.

He closed his eyes and didn't know what he was thinking, while the chief of the inner palace, Gonggong Gui, who was accompanying him, stood beside the throne with his eyes down.

Xiao Jing opened his eyes suddenly, and looked at the most loyal person under the imperial stairs - Liu Zhiping, the right minister and the prince, and his former companion, Long Yangjun, the left minister in the court.

He looked at them in a daze: Liu Zhiping, a veteran of the Three Dynasties, is now the Taifu, and he is the auxiliary minister of the former Emperor Changhui before his death, and he has conscientiously assisted him for decades; Long Yangjun, the eldest grandson of the founding hero Long Laohou, has been studying for him diligently for decades, and the friendship between the three of them is incomparable to others, how can he bear to let the two of them suffer with him? !

Xiao Jingqing's lips moved, after all, he couldn't say a word, sighed, and had to turn his gaze away, staring at the hall in a daze: This world, is it going to change hands after all? Scold! Father! Erchen is sorry for you, and I'm sorry for the ancestors of the Xiao family!

"Report-" Xiao Jingqing couldn't allow him to think too much, only to hear a guard break into the hall and clasp his fists and salute: "Your Majesty, the rebels are already preparing to attack the city!" The Marquis of Xiangyang is preparing for war. ”

Xiao Jingqing lowered his eyes and sighed, and just wanted to speak, when he saw an old eunuch with gray hair quietly trotting in from the palace gate like a demonic wind.

"What?" Xiao Jingqing rubbed his temples, and was a little irritable for no reason - since the twelfth year of Hongyuan, he has suffered from wind disease, and invited dozens of famous doctors in and outside the palace, but they couldn't cure it, so he had to treat it slowly, but it didn't work.

Whenever the illness occurs, he will be in a trance, and sometimes the pain is unbearable, often for four or five days in a row.

Father-in-law Gui beside him approached with great eyesight, rubbing the acupuncture points for him, so that he was soothed, and after a while, it seemed that he had returned to the past, and he and Mrs. Duanshu's boudoir thrush was happy.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager wants to see you......" said the inner eunuch, kneeling on the ground with his hands arched.

Xiao Jingqing recognized him, he was the personal supervisor of the Empress Dowager of Changxin Palace, and Yu Cheng, who had served the Empress Dowager for many years.

"Hmm...... I know, I'm going to ......" Xiao Jingqing had some doubts in his heart, but he still responded and sent Yu Cheng away.

Before he took two steps down the imperial steps, Xiao Jingqing seemed to remember something again, and suddenly turned around again.

Gonggong Gui knew what he meant, hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down, held the crown with both hands, and put it on for Xiao Jingqing.

"Driving the Changxin Palace—" Gonggong Gui said in a voice dragging the extremely sharp and thin male duck unique to the inner prison.

Today's weather is excellent, far better than the day the war began, a blue sky, cloudless, the sun slanted down, as bright as gold, and from time to time there were a few black crows in flocks "fluttering" through the peace and comfort of Ziao City.

The golden glazed tiles reflect the dazzling golden waves in the sunlight, and people almost can't open their eyes. The tall vermilion palace walls on both sides are like an extremely majestic and magnificent red dragon, winding and unfolding, and there is no bottom in sight.

Surrounded by Luan Yiwei and Yulin Army guards, Xiao Jingqing walked for about a cup of tea and arrived at the gate of Changxin Palace.

Outside the gate of Changxin Palace, there was already an inner eunuch in a dark red robe waiting with his hands down, and the leader was Yu Cheng just now.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, please enter the apse." Yu Cheng arched his hand forward.

There is a row of eight laurel trees planted in front of the corridor in the courtyard, and I don't know if the flowers here are moistened by the sandalwood of the Buddha, and they are flourishing.

Xiao Jingqing entered the apse, only to smell a strong sandalwood fragrance, in the smoke, he saw a person kneeling in front of the Buddha shrine, counting the rosary in his hand, chanting the Buddha's words on his mouth, unfathomable.

The person was not young, but still very old, and her gray hair showed her qualifications and experience in this deep palace.

"The Empress Dowager...... Grandson has given you a greeting-" Xiao Jing knelt down in a proper manner and said goodbye.

Yes, this is the person with the highest seniority and seniority in the palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty - the Empress Dowager Guo.

"Hmm...... Get up," he said, and an aunt helped him up.

Xiao Jingqing sighed, "It's all because the grandson is unfilial, and he failed to defend the country that the ancestors and ancestors fought so hard for, and it is the grandson's incompetence——"

The Empress Dowager sighed imperceptibly, but her eyes were still closed, counting the rosary, and she said leisurely: "Emperor, now, the rebels are about to attack, what are you going to do?" ”

"The grandson is incompetent...... I am willing to follow the regulations of my ancestors......" Xiao Jingqing lowered his head, his eyes full of guilt.

"Oh? What is the ancestral case? Guo said unhurriedly.

"The ancestors have a cloud: 'No harmony, no compensation, no land, no tribute, the Son of Heaven guards the country, and the king dies.'" Xiao Jingqing closed his eyes......

"You...... Do it with peace of mind, mourning family, and always support you. ”

"Empress Dowager Qiqi, Your Majesty: The concubines have arrived." Yu Cheng bent over and arched his hand.

Guo Shi ignored Xiao Jingqing's strange eyes, and took his hand: "Let's go, let's go and say goodbye......"

Walking to the front hall, I saw a woman pounce straight up, did not follow the rules that everyone should have, she did not tie her hair in a bun according to the palace rules, three thousand green silk loosened, scattered behind her at will, a pair of gilt double fish earrings with her head up The sound of the sound, the beautiful hibiscus face without any makeup, but it looks miserable and white, pear blossoms with rain, can't help but make people feel pity.

She hugged Xiao Jingqing's robe and cried: "Your Majesty, don't, the concubine doesn't want to die, Your Majesty ......"

"What does it look like?" Guo Shi used a cane to pestle the ground, making a "pong" sound.

"No, Your Majesty, the concubine Wenyuan is only four years old, she is only four years old...... It's when there is a lack of personal care, how can this son be separated from your mother? She hugged Xiao Jingqing's robe tightly, "No, Your Majesty, please think twice, Your Majesty...... Your Majesty......"

The Empress Dowager's phoenix eyes widened, and the phoenix head crutch and pestle hit the gold bricks on the ground, "It's really nonsense!" There is no half of the demeanor of the palace hostess, come on, take Li Bazi down, take care of it strictly...... "It seems that she has remembered something again" Slowly, remember not to let her commit suicide ......"

"Yes......" Even though a few young and strong internal supervisors dragged her down, her relatives' voices still echoed in her ears, "No, Your Majesty, Your Majesty......"

"Your Majesty...... The concubine will lead the harem sisters to mourn and die...... Your Majesty...... "Queen Jiang Shenbi knelt down and slowly made a bow.

As soon as the mother of the country knelt, the palace concubines and concubines behind her, and the palace maids and eunuchs naturally did not dare to stand, so they quickly knelt down and said: "The concubine is willing to die if she is willing to mourn with the queen......

Xiao Jingqing sighed, "Let's get up." ”

"Your Majesty—" A small inner eunuch reported on his knees, "The Sin Concubine Han of the Phi Xiang Palace wants to come and see you......" His face was expressionless, as if this was an insignificant matter.

Also, from the very beginning of the war, the people in the harem have begun to not treat the Han family from the surface, not only poor food and clothing, but also removed a large number of palace maids in her palace, leaving only two palace maids, one inner prison to serve by the side, the reputation said: "Concubine Han needs to recuperate, and the illness will be cured", in the final analysis, this is just a disguised house arrest.

Qing Guifei Xiao Yiru raised her head suddenly, her eyes were full of tears, and even the red gold tuanfeng on the hairpin on the hairpin was a little trembling and shaking, she exclaimed loudly: "She is so ridiculous?!" Didn't she even know that the concubine would have such an encounter today, all of which were caused by her, what else did she want? ”

If it is said that in this full palace, the last person to see the Han family is the eldest lady of the Xiao family, once, the Han family caused her to lose a child who was still in the womb - the imperial doctor said that it was a male fetus that had become a shape...... Since then, Xiao has hurt his roots, and it is difficult to get pregnant.

"Your Majesty, the Han clan said that she knows one thing, and this matter is very important, and she must tell Your Majesty......"

"About what?" Xiao Jingqing thought about it and wondered.

The inner supervisor still clasped his hands and said slowly: "There is actually another hidden story about Mrs. Duanshu's death in childbirth back then......

Speaking of this, Jiang Shenbi's hand in his sleeve shook imperceptibly, and looked at Banxia and Honeysuckle who were waiting on the side, Banxia hurriedly gave her a look, Jiang Shenbi calmed down, turned his head, and scolded the inner prisoner angrily: "Nonsense! Mrs. Duanshu obviously died in childbirth, where is the secret? Come, take down this man who does not know the height of the sky and the thickness of the earth, and defiles the holy hearing! ”

"That's it, don't hurry up and take it!" A hint of anger flashed in Concubine Qing's eyes, "lest he cause trouble again and confuse the harem discipline." ”

Xiao Jingqing's brows furrowed slightly, and he waved his hand: "That's it, after all, you are all old people who have followed me since the time of the Hidden Mansion, so don't talk about it anymore - this matter has been decided, there is no need to say more" He put his hand behind his back, calmed down, and said: "Let's go, let's go and have a look, it will be regarded as Mengying's last wish." ”

Jiang Shenbi bit his lower lip unwillingly, leaned down and bowed: "Yes......"

Concubine Qing raised her eyes and stared at the inner prisoner, as if she was going to eat him alive, and wringed the handkerchief in her hand fiercely.

"Ride the Phi Xiang Palace—" Gonggong Gui stretched out his voice, as if he was wailing......

(To be continued, stay tuned...... ）