Xing Ran vaguely guessed what kind of means Wan Qishu used to deal with those death row prisoners who forced them to confess, and the terrible ghostly cry that came out of the depths of the dungeon became her nightmare for a long time. This may be the beginning of her disgust with this younger brother, what kind of real confession is it to be beaten into a confession? This made Xing Ran a little disdainful, and since then she has never been to the punishment department, nor has she stepped into the dungeon for half a step.

Thoughts from that day back to the palace banquet that night, as far as the eye can see, is the thousands of lights like a rainbow, is a golden moment of peace, the minister put down the past grievances and greetings and toast, the young son Feihua makes Yixing fly. In this grand scene of pleasure, only two people sat silently in their respective positions, one was Wan Qishu, who she saw first, who was peeling lychees, and the other was Xue Mo, who was drinking silently in frustration and bowing his head in frustration.

Xue Mo's face was very unsightly. At the summer solstice, the air began to be hot and dry, and the young man who came to the banquet had not yet started drinking, and his face was already red, only Xue Mo, holding a white jade wine jug, kept pouring one cup at a time, but his face became paler and paler, and even his lips were not bloody.

Xing Ran pinched the hem of her skirt and looked there quietly, for some reason she thought of two years ago, after the palace discussion, she chased after him, and finally heard the words he said in person: "As long as the princess doesn't mind that I have someone else in my heart, I don't mind being the nominal husband of Her Royal Highness the princess." ”

Men are really not good at lying, take Xue Mo as an example, he didn't choose him as a colt yet, he minded being like this. Xing Ran thought with a wry smile.

When Emperor Dongqi saw Xing Ran coming, he immediately beckoned her to his side, his eyes were full of kindness, he lowered his head and asked quietly, "How did Wu'er think about it?" At the moment, do you have the one you like? After that, he looked at Xue Mo as if he was not there, after all, he was a person who came over, and he still saw some clues in the end, so he secretly supported Xing Ran, "Don't be afraid, no matter who you look at, whether that person is willing or not, as soon as the emperor's order comes out, he can only be a concubine." ”

Xing Ran smiled happily and handed the bag that he had been holding in his hand for a long time to Emperor Dongqi: "Father, the son has put his favorite candidate in the bag, and when the banquet is over, please help the son announce the name of that person." ”

She deliberately said this sentence very loudly, and sure enough, she saw Xue Mo put down the wine cup, her eyes poked up in a daze, and after seeing her happy and free expression, her brows frowned little by little, as if she had been poisoned and was about to be poisoned.

Xing Ran couldn't help laughing even more, but after laughing, he sighed in his heart - this banquet seems to be really difficult for Xue Mo, let's end it quickly, make him happy, he twisted his eyebrows like this, which made her feel so distressed.

Yes, until this moment, she was feeling sorry for Xue Mo, the young man who dominated the Southeast China Sea at a young age, became so depressed and struggling and in a trance that she didn't want to see. Although there is nothing wrong with rejoicing in a person, it is not so worth it if rejoicing is a burden to that person.

Therefore, let's end tonight, let him become a young general Xue who stands on the coast with his feet on a war horse and a strong posture in gold armor.

But Xing Ran didn't wait for the moment when the dinner was over and his wish was fulfilled. When countless torches broke through the silk bamboo dance and broke into the banquet, she was pinching a chilled lychee in front of her, and was shocked by the sudden noise, and the crystal water droplets fell down the lines of the lychee and dripped on her fingertips. The cold touch, like the droplets of water that dripped from the stone wall and fell on her skin when she went to the dungeon, was cold to her bones, and made her feel a chill when she landed.

The people who rushed in were all wearing red armor, about three hundred, and the ones on the left and right sides were holding torches, and the middle ones were holding bows and arrows, and they stopped at a distance of three zhang from Xing Ran and the Eastern Qi Emperor. The firelight crackled, the ministers screamed in panic, the porcelain shattered, the tables and chairs toppled, and the palace banquet was in chaos.

Xing Ran encountered this kind of scene for the first time in her life, she didn't know why this happened at all, she could only try to draw a trace of reason in her panic and surprise, and judge that these uninvited guests were all soldiers in the army.

Since they are soldiers in the army, then they are Xue Mo's people...... Glancing up at Xue Mo, I saw him get up expressionlessly, straighten his robe, and walk up to her step by step from behind the table, and the voice of his mouth was like a cold light on the blade of a sword like clay, which made people feel frightened: "Your Royal Highness Princess, are you satisfied?" ”

Dongqi Emperor reacted faster than Xing Ran, he blushed angrily and shouted: "Bold Xue Mo!" Are you going to rebel?! ”

Xue Mo excluded Emperor Dongqi, and only stared at Xing Ran: "Do you think that as long as you choose me as a concubine, I can only resign myself to fate?" ”

Only then did Xing Ran understand what had happened - Xue Mo planned to rebel, in order to resist marriage and not marry her.

"Xue Mo," she suddenly got up, her silver dress flowing to her toes like stars, "Do you know that I am the general of the Five Armies of Dongqi?" This princess doesn't say anything about how a big husband should be able to bend and stretch to persuade you, I just think that you are so impulsive in this kind of trivial matter, how can you really afford the mantle of General Xue in the future! ”

"I don't know that I have endured you for two years, and I have become like this today, which should be all thanks to the princess. I told you a long time ago that not all men in this world should like you, not all men want to be a colt, my reluctance did you understand it once? Xue Mo smiled bitterly, his eyes gradually frozen, "The princess probably really doesn't understand, you were born in the emperor's family, you have always liked what you like, you can get something, how can you understand the pain and joy of others." ”

Xing Ran clenched his fists, and his nails almost pierced his palms with blood: "You are wrong. He glanced up at the stretched bow and crossbow in the distance, and turned to the Dongqi Emperor and said, "Father, the bag that Erchen handed you tonight contains the name of Erchen's sweetheart and Erchen's future plans. ”

Under the gaze of a group of people, including Xue Mo, Emperor Dongqi opened the bag, took out a silver page of letterhead inside, and unfolded it with trembling fingers, but found that-

It was empty, not even a drop of ink.

There was no clearer way to see than Xue Mo, he was so close, his gaze fell on the letterhead so hotly. It's just that when he saw this result, he didn't have the relief he imagined, but his face was full of surprise, his pupils contracted violently, and he didn't seem to believe this result.

"As General Xue saw, there is nothing on this piece of paper, two years ago, the sentence that this princess said in the main hall, 'who to marry in this life, make your own decisions' is not to force anyone to be my concubine, but to let my father and the emperor stop forcing this princess to marry someone she doesn't like. This princess is fifteen years old tonight, and when she handed the bag to her father, she was ready not to marry in this life, and she was also ready not to disturb you again from tonight onwards. But General Xue seems to have misunderstood, which makes you frightened, and it is not my father's intention. ”

Even if she and her father are still in a situation of uncertainty about life and death, even if Xue Mo has made such a rebellious move, Xing Ran is still looking for him to go down the stairs, because she does not want the young and promising general to bury her future and her life.

But there was one person who thought completely differently from her.

Tonight's scene, he waited for two years, almost ran out of patience, such a good opportunity, he finally waited, so how can he let it go.

So the boy who had been beside him, as if he was in a fantasy world, and had been peeling lychees, the boy who had never made him panic even if the lightning and flint, the sky and the earth were cracking, and the slightest shot had not made him panic, finally reacted.

He picked up the silk handkerchief and wiped his slender fingers, then lightly wrapped his robe, slowly stood up, like a snow light rising from the night, the corners of his lips pouted with a smile that was more ethereal than the night wind, and said leisurely to this side: "General Xue, do you have to look back first, are those people holding crossbows your subordinates?" ”