The Southern Palace, a remote and slightly dilapidated palace, stands with its dull tiles that look out of place against the ornate golden glazed tiles of the palace.

There were no palace maids in the courtyard, only two people outside the courtyard stood with their hands down, looking indifferent, respectful and distant.

In the courtyard, the weeds on the ground are removed, and occasionally something is flashing, but when you look at it again, there is nothing, it seems that you are just dazzled.

In the main house, the cobwebs are dense, and countless silk threads are intertwined, so that people have no place to stay. But if you look closely, you can see that what looks like a spider's web is shining, refracting the light that shouldn't belong to it.

The only table in the room is made of precious ebony wood, and countless begonia flowers are carved on it. The flower is so alive that it always makes people feel like it's going to bloom from the table the next moment.

The table was worth a lot of money, but someone put a brazier on it, and it burned the table to black.

The flames of the brazier leaped happily, illuminating a yellowed letter paper and a pair of hands as slender as jade. But the face of the owner of the hand was immersed in darkness, so that people could not see her appearance clearly.

In the silence, the owner of the hand whispered: "Zhao Xiangling, the monarch of the Southern Kingdom, has a perverse personality and is not tolerated by heaven and earth, I am willing to be driven by the prince of Hua, assassinate the empress, help the prince ascend the throne, and be immortal!" ”

There was no payment on the letter, only a dazzling pear flower.

The owner of the hand placed the letter close to the brazier, but snatched it back just as it was about to ignite.

Ploughshare Prince. That was an old case three years ago. He is the Nine Emperor Uncle of Empress Zhao Xiangling, who was beheaded in Chengnan Caishikou for rebellion three years ago. If it weren't for someone secretly informing back then, I think that the person who was beheaded in Caishikou three years ago would not be the prince of Hua, but the monarch Zhao Xiangling.

"Your Majesty! The hour has come. The female official Celadon outside reminded from afar.

The master of the hand suddenly raised his head, got up, and arrived at the door of the temple in a flash. The fire in the house was extinguished, and not a single spider silk was moved, as if no one had ever come.

In addition to the occasional wisp of white smoke from the hot charcoal fire......

Zhao Xiangling is the second empress of the Southern Kingdom, who has reigned for five years, and now she is more than half of the nineteenth.

She lowered her head slightly and asked the female official beside her, "Celadon, how is the candidate?" ”

The female official called Celadon was dressed in a blue palace dress, about twenty-three or four years old, dignified and steady, and was one of the most relied on female officials by the empress today.

Celadon said: "Ten people have been selected, and the rest will be screened by His Majesty himself." ”

Zhao Xiangzero nodded, turned his head and asked another lotus-colored girl: "Qinghua, have you seen those ten people?" ”

Unlike the dignified celadon of celadon, the girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pink-faced complexion and bright eyes, as if she was curious about everything.

Qinghua saw Zhao Xiangling asking her, raised her hand and smiled: "Yes, Sister Qingge has screened it once, and those who stayed are very handsome." ”

She almost danced with her hands, trying to deduce a handsome appearance with her movements. Celadon next to her glared at her, she immediately retracted, her hands hung to her side, and she didn't dare to move.

"Junxiu?" Zhao raised his eyebrows, "I like it." ”

===

Throne room.

This was originally the most solemn and solemn place, but now there are three long tables, horizontal in the middle of the road, right where the civil and military attachés should stand.

Ten men stood below, bowing their hands, all dressed in different clothes. Next to them stood the pink-clothed palace maids, all holding silver plates in their hands, and a lifelike peony flower was placed on them.

This is the topic of Zhao Xiangling's banquet this time, whoever can make the peony pastry that satisfies her the most, she will canonize whoever is the national teacher of the southern country.

A woman in Tsing Yi tested each silver plate with a silver needle, plucked a petal and tasted it, and waved her hand to signal five of them to retreat.

None of the five people who were pushed back dared to protest. They knew that this woman in Tsing Yi was a favored palace maid by the emperor's side, called Qingsha, who was good at poison and was responsible for checking His Majesty's diet and daily life.

If she is unhappy and poisons herself casually, the emperor will not blame her.

The remaining five are considered qualified.

Qingsha nodded coldly at them, motioned for them to follow, and turned towards the peony screen.

As soon as she walked to the screen, someone pulled the screen open, and a person lying on the dragon chair slowly appeared.

The man was wearing a red gold thread embroidered peony robe, and every petal on his body was stretched out, fresh and delicate, and it actually reflected the peony on the screen in front of him.

The red color perfectly sets off her jade skin and the snow-colored neck exposed on the chair lying on her back.

The neck is slender, like a swan's neck, and it is completely hidden under the black hair.

The green silk cascades down like a black waterfall, some folded on the dragon chair, and some fall on the white cashmere carpet, outlining a complete circle.

Without waiting for the female official to speak, the five people who were brought in consciously knelt on the ground and shouted: "Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live." ”

When the man on the chair heard this, he slowly turned around, supported his head with his hands on the armrests of the dragon chair, revealing half of his wrists, and his calves hanging from the arms of the chair, hanging to the ground, his robe failed to cover her feet, revealing half of her bright red toes smeared with impatiens juice.

Seeing this, people unconsciously bow their heads and dare not look again, as if one more glance will blaspheme the person in front of them.

The red lips opened slightly, and the voice was like the first snow in spring, cold but not thorough: "You are talented people selected by me from nearly 100 people. ”

There was silence, and only Zhao Xiangling's voice could be heard echoing in the hall.

"I will choose one of you to be crowned a national teacher as a reward."

The five people kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty." ”

Zhao nodded to zero, turned his head to look at the celadon and signaled that it was time to start. Celadon held the bell in his hand and shook it gently, and a pink-clothed palace maid came up with a silver plate and handed it to the blue and white.

Qinghua leaned over and handed it to Zhao Xiangling.

Zhao Xiangling slowly raised his hand and tore off a petal, took a bite, threw it on the plate, and shook his head.

The celadon rang the bell again, and the palace maid brought the plate up again, repeating it three times, and the third time, Zhao Xiangling's eyes lit up.

She pointed to the maid and asked, "Who did this?" ”

The palace maid reported the number, and the celadon led the person up.

Zhao Xiangling raised her head and saw that this person's appearance was a little flat, and she didn't feel a little confused, but soon she was relieved and said with a smile: "It's him, you all retreat." ”

The remaining four people put disappointment on their faces, but they didn't say anything, and turned their heads to leave.

"Wait!" Zhao Xiangling suddenly stopped them and stepped forward barefoot, "You, wait a minute." ”

All four turned their heads and saw the unattainable Empress stepping down from her throne and walking towards them.

The heartbeat was fast, and even the wind sounded unconsciously.

"Faint King! Die! ”

One of the four suddenly pulled out an arm-long sharp knife from his sleeve and poked it at Zhao Xiangling's heart, his eyes red, as if he wanted to kill her!