On the third day of the first lunar month, heavy snowfall.

The rumors that the emperor of the previous dynasty was still alive spread in the dark, and even Wen Zhesang, who lived in the inner courtyard, had heard about it. There has been no conclusion about the affairs of the past and the present, and the emperor has been sick for a long time and has no time to control the people under him, so it is impossible to curb the gossip.

There are also rumors that a rebel army under the banner of "recovering Jinsheng" suddenly appeared in the northwest, and the rebel army swaggered everywhere, with the intention of going straight to Beijing. It happened that at the end of the year, there was heavy snowfall, and some places in the northwest were hit by disasters.

As a result, the relief troops of the imperial court rushed to the northwest, and rumors about the emperor's faintness and anger were also spread everywhere. But the emperor was stunned and did not show up, and there were rumors inside and outside the palace that the emperor was immoral, was sick and suffered from heaven, and his life was not long.

"Your Majesty, thirty miles outside Beijing, I found a troop of soldiers and horses, about five hundred people, hiding in the Weize Mountain."

The folds sent by the ministers to visit the sick were piled up into a hill, and Mu Yin had a defense map of Shangjing in front of him. The person who spoke was the mighty general Zheng Fan, one of Mu Yin's henchmen.

"Continue to watch, if you want to control Shangjing, just 500 people are not enough. That Jinsheng rebel army is still in Chengyang County, and it is estimated that if you don't get the news of my death, you won't come back to Beijing rashly. Mu Yin said.

Zheng Fan bowed his head: "Weichen takes the order." Zheng Yu and Zheng Hao have gone to Mianxian County for disaster relief, and they are close to Chengyang County, as long as the emperor orders them, they can besiege the rebels in Chengyang County. ”

Mu Yin pressed his eyebrows, pretending to be sick for so long, he had never been out of the dormitory, and his body and bones were about to rot. Fortunately, Xie Yikou's kid was clever and helped him do a lot of things. "Of course I know. However, there are many people in Chengyang County, and the battle between the two armies will inevitably hurt innocents, and I don't want the people to suffer. ”

Zheng Fan showed respect on his face, "Weichen will definitely let Zheng Yu and the others do their best to withdraw the people in Chengyang County, so that the emperor will no longer have to worry about the future." ”

"You are my right-hand man, and I can rest assured that you will do things." Mu Yin put down the fold, moved his hands and feet, and said, "I have been sick for so long, I should also go to the west." Those old things have waited long enough, Zheng Fan, Xie Yikou will come back tonight, and ...... then."

"My lord! Xie Yikou is gone! He Qiuping hurriedly left the Lin Mansion to find the old man. There was no shadow of Xie Yikou in the Lin Mansion, and several people who followed him were also lost, and He Qiuping even went to the palace to guard for a while, but he couldn't catch him anywhere.

The old man touched his beard and sighed, "After all, he is a young man, and his heart is uncertain." Doesn't he still have a good friend? It seems to be the daughter of Wen Shang's family, you go and invite someone. Since Xie Xiaozi was disobedient, he took his weakness and talked to him well. ”

"Yes, my subordinates obey." He Qiuping said.

However, when He Qiuping sneaked into the Wen Mansion, he learned that Wen Zhesang had gone to the Changyan Temple in Beijing early yesterday morning to offer incense and pray for blessings. But he sent someone to investigate, but found that Wen Zhesang was also missing.

Could it be that the two of them escaped without permission?

He Qiuping couldn't make up his mind, so he hurried to see the old man.

As soon as his front foot landed, he heard Mu Pan hurriedly report on his back foot: "Master, the emperor, the emperor is dying!"

At this time, the night is thick and the sky and the earth are dark.

On the twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month, the people in the court counted the days on their fingers, and on this day, the emperor, who was in the prime of life but angered the heavens, finally died in the cold night.

The emperor has only been on the throne for five years, and there are only a few people in the harem, and there has not been a son and a half daughter for several years. He died suddenly today, leaving behind a huge dynasty that does not know who should inherit the throne.

Before going to the palace, the old man asked He Qiuping again: "Xie Yikou hasn't been found yet?"

He Qiuping said: "The subordinates are derelict in their duties and have not yet found him. Also...... I didn't find Wen Zhesan. ”

"Rubbish!" The old man was rarely angry, "Could it be that the two big living people are just gone?" Didn't Boy Xie always want to be the emperor? Now when the emperor dies, he can't see anyone! ”

He even put down his face and knocked on Wen Shangshu's side to knock on Wen Zhesang's whereabouts, but he didn't expect him to be convinced that Wen Zhesang went to the temple to pray for blessings. It's a joke, his daughter has been missing for more than a month, but he doesn't know it as a father.

On one side, Xie Yikou could not be found, but on the other side, the emperor was gone at this time. The burning of the eyebrows accumulated and exploded, and they couldn't push it, so the third prince and the Taifu rushed to the palace overnight and gathered together.

The eunuch Zhao He's eyes were swollen from crying, and the people who were serving inside and outside the palace were full of depression, like a mourner. Zhao He drooped his face to greet a few people, and said: "Your grandfather and grandfather are finally here, it is embarrassing to say, Your Majesty died suddenly, without leaving a word, and the old slave is not a eunuch, thanks to the arrival of the prince and the prince, it makes people feel at ease."

The strong smell of decoction lingered in the dormitory, and the smell was full of bitterness. The faces of several people were not very good, but their eyes were still red. Old lady Lin glanced at the sickbed covered by the curtains, and knelt down deeply and said, "The old minister is ashamed that he failed to send His Majesty on his last journey."

The remaining three also knelt down, tears in their eyes. For a while, the scene was quite miserable.

The death of the emperor is a big deal, this night, Mrs. Lin and Situ Taigong, Jing Taigong, and Ding Taigong discussed all night, and Zheng Fan stayed outside and guarded the door for them.

The candles were extinguished and burned, and the next day it was gloomy, and several people came out with the results of the all-night consultation.

Situ Taigong's face was stern, and he was not angry and arrogant: "Your Majesty's death happened suddenly, so don't rashly make it public, so as not to make people's hearts unstable and the national foundation turbulent."

At this time, most of the people who served in the dormitory were sent to other places, and those who were left behind were clever and strict-mouthed. Zhao Hedao: "What your lord said is very true, when Your Majesty was still there, the old slave listened to Your Majesty's orders, and asked the old slave to only tell you about the matter. Your Majesty has great respect for you. ”

"I'm ashamed." Situ Taigong sighed, "If we know that Your Majesty has been ill for a long time and has no good doctors, we will definitely find famous doctors all over the world to diagnose and treat Your Majesty." ”

"Your Majesty has died, and we are exhausted. However, the country cannot be without a leader, but now that the northwest is suffering from disasters and rebels have sprung up, no matter who succeeds to the throne at this time, it is inevitable that there will be a turmoil. Old Lady Lin frowned deeply, the people here talked all night, and they were all old people, and their faces were quite haggard and terrible after staying up all night.

Zhao He stopped talking, he was a eunuch, and he could say two sentences at this time because of the emperor's face. Now that the emperor can't support him, he can only bow down and listen quietly.

In the end, Ding Taigong said: "I don't know Your Majesty...... Where is the dragon body? We haven't been able to see Your Majesty for the last time, but Your Majesty is not a great monarch, and we want to pay homage to Your Majesty's dragon face. ”

"Yes, yes, that's as it should be. It's freezing right now, so there's no need to prepare ice, so please come here. Zhao He led the way in front, and Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Jing walked at the end, and the two looked at each other, their eyes were bloodshot and sad.

The road is getting further and further away, and the more you go, the colder it gets. When I got to the ice room, I saw Zheng Fan running to guard at some point. Zhao He told him about the situation, and Zheng Fan gave way.

The cold in the ice room was pressing, and several people were old and frail, so they couldn't stand the cold, so they hurriedly glanced at it twice and retreated.

Then there was a long sigh. At noon, Mrs. Lin and the others left the palace.

Outside the ice room, Zhao He poked his head out and looked inside, but before he could see the person clearly, he was shivering from the cold. He said to Zheng Fan: "Close it, close it quickly." It's cold outside, it's even colder inside. However, thanks to General Zheng's strategy, this place was filled with ice, and they had to exit within a few breaths, and they couldn't see the true appearance of that person. ”

Zheng Fan closed the ice room, and in order to deceive those people, he also stayed up all night. Seeing this, Zhao He went out and called someone to guard him, Zheng Fan said haggardly: "I'm tired of my father-in-law, I can't relax my vigilance after this, and my father-in-law had better stay away from here."

Zhao He smiled nonchalantly, "The general's kindness is appreciated by the old slave." The old slave is a eunuch, and he can't help His Majesty and the general, so I wish the general to take down the rebels as soon as possible and protect my Tiansheng for a long time. ”

Zheng Fan did not go to rest after replacing the guard, but immediately rushed to an abandoned palace courtyard in the palace. Before he could set foot in the palace gate, he heard a voice coming from inside: "Of course, I have conditions for cooperating with you, otherwise you think I am really doing good deeds?" It was Xie Yikou who ran to the palace to assassinate him when he had nothing to do.

Zheng Fan walked in through the half-broken palace gate, and the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, withering in autumn and winter, tired into piles after piles. There was a little snow left on the dead grass, and the scene was silent and clear. If it weren't for the two people talking, it would have been silent.

The emperor, who died last night, and the dragon body should have been in the ice room at this time, said, "I don't allow your conditions, so choose another one."

Xie Yikou didn't care and said, "It doesn't matter if you allow it or not, I've already hidden her anyway." When this is over, I will elope with her. ”

He was so proud that he almost cocked his tail. Mu Yin was very annoyed, he knew that Wen Zhesang had a henchman in Qingfeng County, and later she pleaded with him for this person. Now, this person dares to be so rebellious!

"Tiansheng is my Tiansheng, I can't find her for a day, so I use ten days, one hundred days! I'm sure I'll find her! As for you, I remember that you have been rehabilitated and meritorious, and I will not hold you accountable, but you will never want to go back to Beijing. Finally, he added viciously, "unless you tell me where she is." ”

Mu Yin was angry, in the past two months, in order to find out the mastermind behind the scenes, he did not hesitate to pretend to be sick and fake his death, and he arranged troops in Mianxian County, working day and night. Unexpectedly, this bastard boy was very clever, and somehow bluffed Wen Zhesang.

"What if I tell you?" Xie Yikou asked him funny, "Sangsang said, she doesn't like you, she doesn't love you, even if I tell you, but she doesn't want to see you, she won't let you find it." ”

Mu Yin's face was gloomy, and he always refused to admit his words, "You are talking nonsense, no one in Beijing knows that I am devoted to Sangsang, and I gave her fame and official position for her." How could she not like me? ”