Shen Pearl and Zhang Hanruo were brought into the inner hall of Zichen, faintly seen in the shadow of the hanging curtains, Su Zong lay flat on the couch of the Quartet Pear Wood Longpan, and the Imperial Physician Ling bowed down and sat in front of the couch, thinking that he was asking for Su Zong's pulse. Empress Zhang approached and asked, "How is the emperor's condition?" The imperial physician ordered to get up and lift the curtain and walk out, but in the April weather, the forehead was dripping with sweat, and after bowing, he hurriedly said: "Weichen please Niang Niangyi, quickly announce the prince and the ministers to meet, Your Majesty is in danger." ”

Empress Zhang's eyes swept and said, "You stand down." Immediately, a guard stepped forward and pulled down the imperial doctor's order. The Imperial Physician Ling struggled in horror, "You, Niangniang, what are you doing?" Before he finished speaking, the back of his head sank, and he was stunned by the guards and dragged out.

Empress Zhang glanced at Shen Pearl and sneered: "Providence is like this, today is really an arrow on the bow, and I can't help but send it." With a slight bow, the guards had stepped forward to pull Shen Pearl and Zhang Hanruo into the curtain and sat on the felt carpet. Shen Pearl turned her head, at this time she was very close to Su Zong's bed, and saw Su Zong lying flat in the middle, motionless, for the emperor's life, he couldn't survive the destiny of heaven, and now he could only watch this battle silently. She observed in all directions, and saw that outside the corner door of the inner hall, behind the screen, the inner flying dragon made the corner of the green robe, and I don't know how many people were hidden in this hall, just waiting for Li Yu to come to the door to start killing.

Shen Zhuzhu's body trembled. She didn't believe that Li Yu had no preparation and planning for this turmoil, but she was still afraid. I'm afraid that he will really go to the palace, but if he doesn't come, looking at Queen Zhang's expression, he will definitely take Zhang Hanruo's knife, as for his own safety, Shen Pearl is not very afraid, she is a killer, how cunning Queen Zhang is, she will not use it if necessary.

The sound of footsteps, someone entered the inner hall again, and vaguely saw that it was Li Li, the king of Yue, behind the curtain, and Queen Zhang said coldly: "You have finally arrived." Li Li said in a low voice and frightened: "Queen Mother, I'm worried-" Empress Zhang snorted and cursed Li Li in a low voice, but it was a long string of non-stop scolding, and Shen Pearl didn't have the heart to listen, and subconsciously struggled to break the rope that bound her hands.

was in a hurry, and suddenly heard Li Yuqing's voice from outside the hall: "Where is the crown princess?" The voice was calm and steady, but Shen Pearl could hear it, and there was a slight tremor mixed in with it. She and Zhang Hanruo were stunned at the same time, and they didn't realize that the two looked at each other, and Zhang Hanruo's eyes were full of sadness.

Empress Zhang was overjoyed and glanced at the attendant beside her. The attendant then went out of the palace and said: "The crown princess is in the palace, and if His Royal Highness wants to enter the palace, he must remove his sword and come in alone." ”

He must not be allowed in! Shen Pearl was in a frantic mood, her body was bulky, although her feet were not bound, she was still powerless to move for half a minute, she could only fight the rope in her hand, but the rope was a little loose no matter how she exerted her force. Shen Pearl was on the verge of despair. She heard a "choking" sound outside the hall, which was the sound of Li Yu throwing his sword.

Li Yu did not squint and strode into the hall.

The corners of Empress Zhang's mouth floated with a smile, and she said, "Yu'er, you are really affectionate. ”

Li Yu snorted coldly: "Don't talk nonsense, where is the crown princess?" ”

Empress Zhang pouted slightly, and the chamberlain lifted the curtain, revealing Shen Zhu's face.

"Let's go!" Shen Pearl shouted in her heart, shaking her head at Li Yu again and again, and the anxious situation was colorful.

"Pearl," Li Yu swallowed a long breath, step by step, his eyes were deep, Shen Pearl's gaze collided with his gaze in mid-air, she couldn't help but be stunned, even she couldn't understand, Li Yu was happy or angry, worried or anxious, only to feel that this was in the murderous inner hall, although Li Yu did not wear any blades, but there was an invisible intimidating tension towards the four directions to force the persecution, the tables and curtains on all sides seemed to be unable to resist this oppression, trembling, the hall was silent, and it could be heard when a needle fell to the ground.

Li Yu smiled suddenly, from a distance of more than ten zhang, through the cold light of the guards, and through the cold and smiling Empress Zhang, he looked at Shen Zhuzhu, and said calmly and gently: "Don't be afraid, there is me." At this moment, the sharp edge in his eyes was revealed, and there was a "bang" in Shen Zhuzhu's chest, as if a bright light crossed his mind.

"Do it, take down the prince!" Empress Zhang ordered in a broken voice.

The corners of Li Yu's mouth suddenly rose, and there was a sneering smile on his lips.

The sound of the blade was loud, and countless inner flying dragon envoys flashed ghostly behind the corner doors and screens, Empress Zhang raised her eyebrows, her smug attitude was overflowing, pointing at Li Yu, Shen Zhuzhu, and Zhang Hanruo, and ordered loudly: "Kill them all, not one will be left!" ”

Cheng Yuan Zhenfang stepped into the hall, and when he heard the sound of "swish", the long sword was unsheathed, and the cold breath of the forest was refreshing, and the sword light flickered, and he was stabbing Li Yu in front of the door.

Li Yu didn't move at all, looking directly at Cheng Yuanzhen, the sword qi was approaching, and his cold face was reflected in the cold light.

Empress Zhang clapped her hands, "Okay! ”

Before the words fell, Cheng Yuanzhen's sword turned sharply, the long sword was slanted, and it was piercing Li Yu's chest to stab a guard close to Empress Zhang's side, and the guard fell to the ground on his back and died.

Empress Zhang's "good" stopped abruptly, and before she could react, the screams and wails on all sides were endless, and the inner flying dragon envoy who flashed out from behind the corner door and the screen shot at the same time, killing her cronies and guards. Although there were a lot of her cronies and guards, they were defenseless at this time, and more than ten people died tragically on the spot, and the rest were all injured and restrained.

Empress Zhang was stunned. Looking to the side, Li Fuguo looked at her with a smile and remained silent. Li Li dodged behind her, and muttered in a low voice with a crying voice: "Queen Mother, we were fooled and lost, what should we do, what should we do!" ”

"Rubbish!" Empress Zhang raised her hand and gave Li Li a slap, and shouted loudly outside the hall: "Someone, someone!" ”

However, she was soon disappointed, not only did no one answer the call outside the hall, but the sound of a fighting was already heard outside the hall, which became more and more intense. The guards she deployed outside the palace were probably too busy to take care of themselves. Li Li was slapped by Empress Zhang and took a few steps back, Li Fuguo secretly made a look, a guard raised his knife and fell, Li Li let out a short scream, was stabbed in the chest and abdomen, and was killed on the spot.

Li Yu stepped forward quickly, tore open the curtain, picked up Shen Pearl from the ground, and then ripped off the towel in her mouth, lowered his head and lifted the rope for her, the rope was not difficult to unravel, he saw that her wrist was bruised, his heart was as anxious as fire, his fingertips trembled slightly, and finally heard a very light "Xi" sound, and untied the rope. Shen Pearl listened to him breathe a long sigh of relief, stretched out his arms, and held her firmly.

Another guard stepped forward, untied the rope for Zhang Hanruo, and helped him to stand on the side.

Empress Zhang's figure staggered.

But in an instant, heaven and earth are forever separated, and she has already lost.

Lost so completely that I was caught off guard.

She had always thought that she was dominant, but now she woke up, more sober than ever.

Li Fuguo and Cheng Yuanzhen had already taken refuge in Li Yu and led her into the urn. The strategies she discussed with Li Fuguo and Cheng Yuanzhen, Li Yu knew everything about them. The arrest of Zhang Hanruo in front of her was just to win her trust more, and it also made this strategy have the so-called "bait", which continued like a chain and continued one link after another, without any gaps. At the most critical moment, he dealt her a fatal blow.

There are no eternal allies and enemies in the world, and since Li Fuguo was able to join forces with her in the past, he can naturally form an alliance with Li Yu today.

Her loss is not in the sky.

She should have thought that she was just a woman after all. Since Empress Zetian and Princess Taiping, which courtier in the Tang Dynasty does not hate women in politics? A eunuch like Li Fuguo originally relied on this supreme imperial power to be powerful and blessed, and he had the heart to arbitrarily power, but he had no amount of arbitrary power, and he was powerless to suppress the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty. If the saint dies now, he must want to take refuge in the master who has a stable position and can give him more power, instead of her much-criticized future "queen mother", who will be crumbling with her. Supporting the new monarch is even more of a great achievement.

Her loss is not in the sky.

She should have thought that she was just a woman after all. Since Empress Zetian and Princess Taiping, which courtier in the Tang Dynasty does not hate women in politics? A eunuch like Li Fuguo originally relied on this supreme imperial power to be powerful and blessed, and he had the heart to arbitrarily power, but he had no amount of arbitrary power, and he was powerless to suppress the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty. If the saint dies now, he must want to take refuge in the master who has a stable position and can give him more power, instead of her much-criticized future "queen mother", who will be crumbling with her. Supporting the new monarch is even more of a great achievement.

"Hahaha!" Empress Zhang laughed wildly, trembling with laughter, her hands were swaying on her temples, her hairpins and beads and wigs fell to the ground, her long hair was scattered, and the former phoenix was gone.

Li Fuguo said unhurriedly and screamed: "The queen dares to go crazy and lose, what's so ridiculous?" ”

Empress Zhang ignored him, raised her slender jade fingers, pointed at Li Yu and Shen Zhu, and said while laughing: "This palace is laughing at him, His Royal Highness the Prince, I just say that it is really so deep and righteous." It turned out—" another burst of laughter, "it turned out to be nothing more than that!" Well, yes, yes, I am willing to use my concubine and unborn children as bait, and gamble this game with this palace, this palace is ashamed of itself, good, good, this palace is defeated, convinced! The people of your Li family, since the beginning of Gaozu Taizong, have been so cold-hearted and ruthless, well, worthy of being the descendants of the Li family of the Tang Dynasty-" A pair of phoenix eyes turned to Shen Zhu's face, "The young son of the beauty, compared with this Jiangshan Sheji, of course it is insignificant!" ”

Shen Zhuzhu's face was pale, her lips and teeth were clenched, her body shook slightly, she pushed Li Yu away and staggered to the side, Li Yu stretched out her hand to hold her arm, his eyes were sinking like water, he looked at her fixedly, and said, "Believe me, it's definitely not like this." ”

At this moment, Feng Shengyi's long sword was bathed in blood, and he hurried into the hall, saying: "Your Royal Highness the Prince, the outer rebel guards have all been killed, and the ministers are rushing towards the Zichen Palace. ”

Empress Zhang clapped her hands and smiled, "Clever plan, wonderful plan, Yu'er, you really calculated everything accurately!" At present, the ministers are pouring into the Zichen Palace, just to witness the 'crime' of the palace! Even the time is not too early, not too late! Dragging his long skirt, he slowly walked towards the dragon couch where Su Zong was lying.

Li Yu shouted: "What do you want to do!" ”

Empress Zhang glanced at him lazily and said, "Why not bid farewell to the emperor in this palace?" Before you wait for the edict to abolish the palace, the palace is still the queen! Slowly marching, he had reached the side of Li Yu and Shen Pearl, glanced at Shen Pearl with a smile, raised his left hand, and slowly stretched out his hand towards Shen Pearl, and sighed: "Come on, you and I are poor people." All men in the world are thin, even him-" Su Zong, who was lying on the couch with his fingers, "now he has left the palace behind, so leisurely-"

Shen Pearl originally stood still as if she was full of worries, but after hearing Empress Zhang's words, she was like a fool, shook off Li Yu's arm, handed her right hand, and took a few steps forward.

At this moment, Li Yu saw that on Empress Zhang's lazy and desperate face, there was a fierce light and anger passing by, "Be careful! These two words were still choked in her throat, Empress Zhang pulled Shen Pearl back hard, Shen Pearl leaned forward, a silver light floated across the curtain, and the woman screamed, Queen Zhang and Shen Pearl both fell to the ground.

Li Yu didn't know where his heart should go, it was too late to be afraid at this moment, Shen Pearl lay motionless on Queen Zhang's body, he shouted her name loudly, turned her body over, but saw that she was covered with blood, he didn't know where the wound was, his hands trembled and patrolled in her chest and abdomen, and kept saying: "Why don't you believe me, why don't you believe it......"

"I believe in you." Her familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ears. Li Yu was stunned, he couldn't believe his ears, but he saw Shen Zhu's eyes wide, looking at him with a smile, and then, slowly sitting up in his arms, his fingers gently slid over his chin, Ying Ying smiled: "I'm fine." ”

"Your Highness, it's Queen Zhang who was stabbed and is dead." Feng Shengyi said beside him.

Shen Pearl rolled her eyes and looked at it with Li Yu.

Empress Zhang was lying flat on the ground, with a dagger on her chest that was deep and bladeless, and the dagger sheath was shiny, which was the one that Mo Yan gave to Shen Pearl.

Empress Zhang had already lost her breath, but her phoenix eyes were round, thinking that she was very unwilling, and she also held a dagger in her right hand, but before she could make a move, she was killed. When Empress Zhang pulled Shen Pearl back, she wanted to take out the dagger between her sleeves to kill Shen Pearl, but Shen Pearl had already prepared, and when she lowered her head and leaned forward, she pulled out the dagger in her chest with her left hand, but preemptively struck. Shen Pearl was covered with bloodstains, but it was just stained with the blood of Empress Zhang, and she was unharmed.

Shen Pearl said slowly: "I finally avenged everyone. ”

Li Yu almost cried with joy, and said in a loud voice: "If you don't believe me, I, I...... You, you ......" couldn't choose words for a while, but I couldn't help but rejoice in my heart.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—"

With a noisy sound at the door of the palace, dozens of civil and military ministers poured into the hall under the leadership of Zai Fu Miao Jinqing and Huainan Jiedu envoy Cui Guangyuan, many of whom saw that the palace was in a mess, Empress Zhang lay on the ground, and her heart of loyalty to the monarch rose up, and she shouted "Your Majesty" and rushed up.

Li Fuguo stepped up to meet him, swept his eyes, stopped the pace of the ministers, and said suddenly: "The queen plotted to usurp and assassinate the crown prince and princess, and she has been killed on the spot!" ”

The ministers looked at each other, although they had no good impression of Empress Zhang, but they were also suspicious of Li Fuguo's words.

At this moment, two guards helped the imperial doctor to come up. The imperial physician Ling Fang was woken up by the cold water splashed, touched his head with his hand, his mind was not yet fully awake, and when he saw Li Yu suddenly, he immediately struggled to half-run and half-crawl in front of Li Yu, knelt down and grabbed Li Yu's robe, and shouted: "Prince, the queen concealed His Majesty's illness and had the intention of usurping the throne, Your Majesty, Your Majesty is in danger!" ——”

The imperial physician Ling has always been admired by the ministers, and as soon as this statement came out, the ministers had already believed it. The imperial physician ordered this to remind the people who almost forgot about the emperor in the palace - what is the emperor's condition?

Li Yu hurriedly ordered the imperial doctor: "The queen has been killed, don't hurry up and treat Your Majesty!" ”

The imperial physician Ling hurriedly stood up, and before he had time to salute, he took three steps and made two steps to Su Zong's couch, Li Yu and Shen Pearl followed, and Li Yu called softly: "Father." ”

Su Zong's face was pale, his eyes were closed, and he didn't ask or answer. The Imperial Physician Ling first took a pulse, his face was already pale, and then he slowly put his hand under Su Zong's nose, and suddenly his whole body was shocked, and he immediately knelt down in front of Li Yu, and shouted: "The Holy Dragon Emperor has returned to heaven-"

With this long shout, everyone inside and outside the hall knelt down on the ground, and some of the courtiers had already cried exaggeratedly.

Li Yu was not very sad in his heart, Xiaoyi was here, kneeling down in front of the couch and crying. With him taking the lead, the palace was crying loudly, and the death knell of the emperor inside and outside the Daming Palace sounded at the same time.

After crying for most of the hour, Li Fuguo stood up, took out the yellow silk edict from his sleeve, and said: "The saint has passed away, the edict is here, and the crown prince will be enthroned in front of the coffin!" After speaking, he handed the edict to Miao Jinqing and passed it to the ministers in turn. The ministers had already decided that Li Yu should inherit the throne, and the seal of the edict was complete, so they all glanced at it hurriedly and nodded in approval.

Li Fuguo saw that all the ministers agreed, so he took the lead in front of Li Yu, knelt on the ground three times and bowed nine times, and sang in a long voice: "Long live my emperor, long live!" ”

Cui Guangyuan also took a few steps forward and sang next.

It was like a mountain pouring water, and for a while, everyone inside and outside the hall knelt down at the same time: "Long live my emperor, long live!" ”

Shen Pearl was closest to Li Yu and was about to kneel, but Li Yu grabbed her body with his left hand, lifted her body, and said in a low voice: "You don't need to do this. His face was still full of sadness, he raised his hand and said loudly: "Zhongqing is flat." ”

Then the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and said: "The ceremonies of the first emperor's state funeral and His Majesty's enthronement ceremony, please show Your Majesty." ”

Li Yu said with his hand: "My father died, I mourn in my heart, the first emperor ascended the throne Lingwu, personally carried the artifact, for the country and the people, worried and tired, I am a model, the world is the first, the national funeral ceremony is thick and heavy, and it is fully handled by the Ministry of Rites, and there must be no loss!" The matter of ascending to the pole is also selected by the Ministry of Rites, which can be simple and cheap. ”

Because the national funeral is a big matter, after Li Fu's prophecy is over, except for Li Fuguo and Cheng Yuanzhen, all the ministers have retreated, and the Ministry of Rites has gone out of the palace to prepare for the burial, and more than ten internal envoys have cleaned the corpses in the hall, and the inner hall of Zichen was suddenly quiet.

The emperor died, the new monarch has not yet performed the ritual of ascending to the extreme, Cheng Yuanzhen is the first life envoy and the inner flying dragon envoy, with great responsibilities, he quickly stepped forward and bowed his hand to Shen Zhu, and only said "The guilty minister is fortunate to have lived up to His Majesty and Niangniang", Li Yu smiled at him, he bowed his hand again, and hurried out of the hall.

Li Yufang said indifferently to Li Fuguo: "You are so bold!" ”

Li Fuguo had expected Li Yu to reprimand him angrily, and said with a smile: "The matter is urgent, this is a matter discussed between the emperor and the queen, and when the old slave knew about it, it was too late to inform Your Majesty." Besides, isn't Concubine Shen safe and sound now? The old slave knows in his heart that he will never let the mother have anything to do! ”

Li Yu snorted in his nose, his tone was flat, no joy or anger, "If something happens to Niangniang, you can't withstand it with a hundred lives." Okay, you help me eradicate the queen, your merit is very high, I will be rewarded for my meritorious deeds, you go down first. ”

Li Fuguo was overjoyed, Li Yu was quite bored in his heart, but he was not at all invisible, and was waving his hand to let Li Fuguo retreat, but he heard a woman on the side asking: "Your Majesty, how should you reward your concubine?" ”

(Tianjin)