Princess Hanyang took Xue Chu'er into the palace and met the Empress Dowager Guo in the Penglai Palace. Empress Dowager Guo was still sitting in the big chair covered with bearskin, as if she had been sitting for a long, long time.

Li Chang walked over and suddenly fell on her knees and cried loudly.

Nianyun looked at her faintly, "Chang'er, the mourning family doesn't believe it, and you don't believe it either, right?" ”

Li Chang nodded, shook his head again, choked up.

She didn't believe it, but her husband had indeed disappeared on the battlefield, and she didn't know how to comfort herself.

Guo Nianyun patted her hand and stood up: "Chang'er, over the years, I have wronged you." Now that you and Chu'er have no heirs under their knees, the incense can't be inherited, if something really happens to the third brother, for the rest of his life, he still has to have a head to rely on. ”

Li Chang raised his misty teary eyes and looked at her, "The Queen Mother means ......"

Guo Nianyun said slowly: "The mourning family sees that the eldest brother has many children under his knees, and he looks good, so he wants to discuss with you and pass on a child from the eldest brother's side." Pick a younger one, it is connected by blood, and you can also raise a parent. What do you mean? ”

If the third brother is gone, Li Chang's life really doesn't know how to live. In the past few decades, she has been devoted to Guo Yan again, and she has hardly ever socialized with the noble ladies in the capital.

Li Chang was silent for a moment and looked at Xue Chu'er, "So...... Listen to the arrangement of the Queen Mother, thank the Queen Mother for worrying. ”

Guo Nianyun sighed lightly, "Chang'er, you are a member of our Guo family, and you have always called my sister in the past." ”

"Sister." Thinking of the young man, Li Chang's eyes turned red again. Over the years, she has entered the palace very few times, and the number of times she has seen Nianyun after marriage is only a handful. Now that she has become the queen mother and the most noble woman in the Daming Palace, she can still think about her, Li Chang is not a little moved in his heart.

"Sister, then what should we do now, how many people do you plan to send to search and rescue on the battlefield of Chengde?"

Guo Nianyun shook his head slowly, "Chang'er, you calm down." ”

Xue Chu'er had been watching coldly, and when she saw this, she suddenly asked in a cold voice: "Queen Mother, you keep saying that you care about San Lang, and San Lang treats you better in this life than I and the princess." Now that his life and death are unknown, when he needs your help the most, do you have to stand by and watch coldly, and don't even help? ”

With such verbal criticism and written criticism, every sentence is heart-wrenching, Nianyun knows that what she said is right. Now may be the time when Guo Yan needs her to make a move the most, but she has no way to make a move, no way to send troops.

She wanted to say that from the capital to the battlefield of Chengde, even if the most elite cavalry troops were to be dispatched, it would take four or five days. And in the past four or five days, the best opportunity to search and save people has been missed.

But the stalk was in her throat, and she couldn't say it. Such words are too rational, there are too many trade-offs, and saying them will only blaspheme her guilt.

The real reason why she couldn't send troops was only known to Guo Zhu, and Chang'an City was now being defended layer by layer, which is why she couldn't give the third brother a lot of troops in the first place.

And now, I can't move, and if I pull a hair, I will definitely move my whole body.

Heng'er's condition is becoming more and more critical now, and maybe one day there will suddenly be an unexpected situation, she has to be so, and she has to be cautious and cautious.

I'm sorry, third brother, in your life, you are willing to give up everything for me, even at the expense of the king of heaven and earth, and everything in this world. But I can't, I'm in such a position at this time, and I can't let go of the thousands of Li people and the Tang Dynasty after all.

Guo Nianyun had tears in his eyes, stood up tremblingly, and walked to the window, "Yes, you are right, mourning the family, I can't live with the third brother." ”

Xue Chu'er snorted coldly: "If you don't go, I'll go!" I'll take the Guo family's secret guards to the Chengde battlefield, Queen Mother, don't pretend to be sisterly anymore, I just hope you don't stop it! ”

Half of the Guo family's secret guards are in Guo Zhu's hands, and half are controlled by Guo Jun. He didn't take these people with him when he went on the expedition, and at that time, he still thought about leaving more people in Beijing to protect her.

At this time, what Xue Chu'er could mobilize were those who were in Guo Jun's hands before. And what Guo Zhu is in his hands, I'm afraid she can't move now, Guo Zhu won't let her move, and he still has to keep to protect the safety of the Guo family.

Empress Dowager Guo didn't speak, and watched Xue Chu'er rush out of Penglai Hall and disappear into the vast night, and sighed.

Although Li Chang has stayed away from the palace ban all these years, she is the person who went out of the palace in the end, and she has not completely lost her mind in such a deep sadness.

"Sister, but are you in trouble?"

Guo Nianyun looked at her slowly, "Chang'er, how kind you are, at this time, you still believe that I have a hard time." But...... I can't tell you, I can't tell anyone. Chang'er, you believe me, I don't want anything to happen to my third brother more than anyone else. ”

Li Chang rested his head on Nianyun's shoulder, "Chang'er believes in you." ”

The next day, the Empress Dowager Guo summoned her eldest brother Guo Zhu and told him what she meant, Guo Zhu actually had this intention, and immediately called his six sons into the palace to meet the Queen Mother.

Empress Dowager Guo chose Guo Zhongtao, who was the oldest on the right, and met her mother-in-law Li Chang in front of her, and then under the auspices of Guo Zhu, she changed the jade of the Guo family and officially succeeded to Guo Jun's name.

In fact, the third brother's incense was inherited by someone, but unfortunately that child couldn't call him grandpa from beginning to end, and he couldn't even let anyone know about it.

Third brother, I'm sorry, at this time, I can only guard Datang, and I can't take risks for you.

After Xue Chu'er returned from Penglai Palace, he hurriedly set off and led some of the Guo family's secret guards to the Chengde battlefield to find Guo Jun.

Here, the Empress Dowager Guo endured her grief and went to court every day. And because of the aggravation of Li Heng's condition, he was unable to go to the court occasionally, but he did not make it public in the court, only saying that His Majesty occasionally felt cold.

But a few days later, there was good news, Imperial Physician Liang ordered someone to come back with a letter, a bottle of potion, and some herbs, telling her that it was likely that she had found a good medicine that could cure His Majesty.

After the medicine was made, in order to be in a hurry, Imperial Doctor Liang wrote down the dosage and precautions of the medicine in detail one by one, and ordered the guard with the fastest foot strength to be sent to the Daming Palace, and he himself was said to be walking slowly behind. Empress Dowager Guo understands this very well, after all, he is old, and he must not be able to bear it if he is in such a hurry.

With medicine, there is hope.

Empress Dowager Guo ordered the imperial doctor of her cronies to visit His Majesty, and then gave His Majesty decoction and medicine according to the method of Imperial Doctor Liang. Since it is a rare disease, no one knows whether this medicine can really be effective.

After the medicine was decocted, Empress Dowager Guo personally followed the imperial doctor to the Zichen Palace, watched Li Heng drink the medicine, and then asked him how he felt anxiously.

The imperial doctor hurriedly saluted and said: "The Queen Mother is too impatient, as the so-called illness comes like a mountain and the disease goes like a thread, but mortals take medicine, it will take some time to show the effect of the medicine, Niangniang asked Your Majesty how she feels, I'm afraid it's useless, it's better to rest first and see how tomorrow is." ”

Empress Dowager Guo shook her head, "No, the mourning family is not at ease, the mourning family is here to see the excerpts." ”

She was guarding the Zichen Palace, and the imperial doctor didn't dare to leave, and the two imperial doctors took turns to take care of Li Heng carefully, for fear that there would be a slight mistake.

At night, Li Heng suddenly had a fever.

Imperial Doctor Liang's prescription and usage did not write what would happen to the patient after taking the medicine, and the two imperial doctors did not know whether the fever was normal or abnormal, and they did not dare to take other medicines easily, so they had to order the palace maid to take a cold towel to cool him down.

Li Heng burned very badly, and a cold towel was hot after a while, and the Empress Dowager Guo couldn't stand it, so she anxiously stayed by his side.

Although he had a fever, he didn't know why, he was not very confused, and he was still able to speak clearly.

Empress Dowager Guo held his hand, "Heng'er, you have to get better, you must get better, the mourning family doesn't want a white-haired person to send a black-haired person, do you hear?" ”

The corners of Li Heng's mouth pulled out a little smile, and he used a little strength to shake her hand back, "Mother, life and death are fateful, don't force it." If the son is in danger this time, he will have to continue to ask his mother to ......"

Empress Dowager Guo hurriedly covered his mouth with her other hand, "Don't say such things, the mourning family won't listen to ......"

Li Heng stopped talking, thought for a while, and said, "Mother, my son has a request, and I hope my mother can agree." ”

It's all here, and there's nothing you can't agree to.

"Say it."

Li Heng's Adam's apple moved with difficulty, "Mother, my son has been thinking about it these days, and in my son's life, even if he is the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he is not happy. The former court was-for-tat, and the courtiers in the court fought in the harem, and I never knew if anyone was sincere to his son. ”

He paused, "Mother, this emperor, my son is so tired. ”

Empress Dowager Guo looked at him in a daze, this throne, I don't know how many people in the world are fighting for it, if he stands in the court and says this, I don't know how much blood and rain will be set off. What does he mean that he doesn't want to be this emperor anymore?

"If Ning'er is still here, this throne mourner will never give you a seat. But Heng'er, now that you have sat down, if you don't become the emperor, what will you do with the mourning family? ”

Li Heng shook his head with difficulty, "Mother, there is still the fourth brother, even if the fourth brother does not succeed, there is still ...... Mother, even if the mother imitates the Empress Wu and the dynasty system, the son is also supportive. ”

Empress Dowager Guo exhaled slowly. It is impossible to weigh the system in the future.

"Heng'er, you think about it again......"

Li Heng shook his head firmly: "Mother, my son has been thinking about it for a long, long time. If Luoluo is still there, maybe for her, her son is willing to force himself, at least to fight side by side with her. But in all these days, there has not been a day when my son has not lived in pain. Mother, if the son is well, this life is also picked up, please allow the son to be unfilial this time......"

As he had said this, he was a little tired and struggled to lean back on the couch and pant for breath. Empress Dowager Guo turned her back and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

She and Li Chun's country, how should they be?

After a sleepless night, Li Heng finally couldn't bear it anymore and fell asleep. Empress Dowager Guo announced to the outside world that His Majesty had a minor illness, and she went to court alone, and ordered King Guang to follow her to listen to the government.

At noon, news came from the imperial doctor that His Majesty had woken up.

Empress Dowager Guo didn't care about anything else, and she couldn't even care about the fennel calling her behind her, so she ran to Zichen Hall with the hem of her clothes.

Several imperial doctors knelt on the ground, and when they saw her coming, they all knelt on the ground in unison, "Empress Dowager Qi, Your Majesty is blessed with all the heavens!" ”

Empress Dowager Guo's hanging heart settled a little, very surprised, and a little incredulous, "What you said is true, is Your Majesty's illness no longer in trouble?" ”

The imperial doctor said: "Exactly, the ministers have checked His Majesty's pulse, and it has stabilized, but it still needs to be raised for some time." ”