Imperial capital.

After several days and nights of traveling, Jian Xubai finally returned to the capital after a long absence.

After entering the city, he said goodbye to the envoy, first went back to the house to freshen up and change clothes, summoned a few important stewards, and hurriedly asked some questions, and then went to the palace to visit the empress dowager.

The Empress Dowager was very distressed when she saw her grandson who had obviously lost weight because of the overnight journey, but the most important thing at the moment was to let Jian Xubai go to the emperor to defend herself. Now that you've entered the palace, you should stop by to see him! ”

Jian Xu's white chin responded, and asked the Empress Dowager Su and other elders about the recent situation one by one, and then retired to Xuanming Palace.

In the Xuanming Palace, Emperor Duanhua had already cleared the scene in advance, and he had been waiting for a while.

The young emperor was a little anxious, originally he didn't plan to say it to this cousin, because this kind of thing related to the dignity of Emperor Xianjia, whether Jian Xubai was innocent or not, saying it was an insult to his father.

But the Empress Dowager intervened, and although Emperor Duanhua did not fully accept the imperial grandmother's suggestion, he couldn't completely save her face - he could only make it clear.

So the emperor is in a complicated mood now: Jian Xubai is innocent, which means that he wronged his cousin who watched him grow up, and even his rebuttal in front of the empress dowager seems ridiculous, and it is difficult not to have a rift between cousins;

If Jian Xubai is not innocent, it means that his respected father, Emperor Xianjia, who is recognized as Emperor Mingjun, was actually cuckolded by his nephew who is regarded as a parent!

It also means that Emperor Duanhua has always mistaken this cousin!

So much so that the emperor doesn't know what to expect now?

Just when he was distraught, the chamberlain at the door bowed down and walked in: "Your Majesty, Yan Guogong asks to see you!" ”

"Xuan!" Emperor Duanhua exhaled and subconsciously sat up straight.

After a while, Jian Xubai, who was dressed in a stone blue robe and only held a bamboo crown to tie his hair, walked in: "Weichen see Your Majesty!" ”

Emperor Duanhua waved his hand and said, "No courtesy, sit down!" ”

Jian thanked him in vain, and after sitting down, Emperor Duanhua was silent for a while, and did not directly say the right thing, but said: "Liaozhou is far away from the imperial capital, and you have worked hard all the way." ”

"Your Majesty's words are serious." Jian Xubai said, "After all, the emperor's grandmother's phoenix body is important!" Originally, he passed to the third room of the Jian family, and he was not the son of the eldest princess of the Jin Kingdom, so naturally he could no longer call the Empress Dowager "Imperial Grandmother", but when he was in the Qingxi Palace, he was interrupted by the Empress Dowager angrily, and ordered him to continue to shout "Imperial Grandmother" in the future.

The Empress Dowager even said, "What? The mourning family worked hard to support you once, and after you passed over, you won't miss the kindness of the mourning family in the past? Or look at the emperor's grandmother is old and frail, don't mourn the family? ”

Speaking of this, Jian Xubai Yuan did not have the idea of having a relationship with this elder, so he naturally followed the Empress Dowager - except that he no longer called the eldest princess and his wife "Daddy", the title of the rest of the royal family remained the same, in order not to forget the care and care that Emperor Xianjia and others had taken care of him over the years.

At this moment, Emperor Duanhua didn't care about him shouting like this, nodded expressionlessly, and asked again: "Are you okay with the third room?" ”

"Your Majesty, everything is fine." Jian Xubai muttered, "It's just a matter of the third brother......

Jian Yi is the son of the eldest princess of the Jin Kingdom - when Shen Qimo and Jian Chengzhicai had an accident, although his whereabouts are still unknown, how dare Liaozhou hide it? Therefore, the imperial capital has long known the news of the disaster of Jian Yiyu's family.

But Emperor Duanhua was in no mood to care about this cousin who had always been unfamiliar now, pinched his eyebrows, and finally decided to get to the point: "Let's go down!" ”

The palace retreated, and the tall palace door was closed in silence.

Even if the lamp was lit, only the two cousins were left in the dim hall.

Emperor Duanhua took a deep breath before he said, "Ah Xu, should you know the intention of the imperial grandmother to lie on the couch and summon you to return the capital?" ”

"The minister heard that Concubine Nuan's mother and son have been placed under house arrest, and that someone in the court impeached the third room of the Jian family, but they were not punished, it is a bit bold and reckless speculation!" Hearing this, Jian Xubai got up from his seat, bowed his head and bowed his hand, and said calmly, "I hope Your Majesty will forgive!" ”

"I'm just asking you one thing now: Is it you?" Emperor Duanhua held the back of the hand of the imperial case, the green tendons flared up, he looked at the handsome cousin below, and said word by word, "Ah Xu, I ask you now as a cousin - I hope you don't let me down!! ”

Before he finished speaking, Jian Xubai raised his head and looked straight at the upper end of the Emperor: "No! ”

"Is there any evidence?" Emperor Duanhua was not surprised that he would answer like this, such a big crime, who would be stupid enough to confess directly when asked like this? Although Jian Xubai's attitude is very calm, if he really did such a thing, he has been pretending to be under his nose for so long, what is the difficulty of continuing to pretend to be innocent?

"There is no easier way than to drip blood to recognize relatives." Jian Xubai said calmly, "As for other evidence, Chen has been far away in Liaozhou before, but he can't think of any better way than this for a while!" ”

——Since Emperor Duanhua believed that King Qing was not of Emperor Xianjia's bloodline early on, he has kept him and Concubine Nuan's lives until now, and only put them under house arrest in the name of protection, apparently to confirm King Qing's biological father [Note]!

When Jian Xubai and Jian Limiao discussed countermeasures before, they didn't think about dripping blood to recognize their relatives, but Gain did so, although it can prove Jian Xubai's innocence, but the friendship between him and Emperor Duanhua will inevitably suffer a heavy blow - if the fiancée is used as a metaphor for the relationship between the monarch and the minister, the fiancé suspects that the fiancée is having an affair with someone, and asks a few words in person, even if the quarrel is over, after the truth is revealed, it is not difficult to reunite.

But if the fiancé directly comes to someone and asks to verify whether the fiancée is still a virgin, you can imagine the mood of both parties!

Therefore, Jian Limiao said at the beginning that the best solution is to find out the real adulterer of Concubine Nuan, so that Jian Xubai will not be cleared up, and it will not tear his face and make it difficult for each other to step down.

However, the world is unpredictable - before Jian Xubai arrived in the imperial capital, he was caught up by Jian Limiao's people, who informed him of Jian Yiyou's confirmed tragic death, and suggested that he change his original plan and immediately prove his innocence to the emperor!

Because Jian Yiyu was discovered after Jian Xubai got up and returned to the imperial capital, and Jian Xubai did not encounter any obstacles along the way. It's hard not to make Jian Limiao suspicious, the real killing game is in the imperial capital, in the palace, and in the court!

So he thinks that at this time, he must clear himself as soon as possible, so as not to fall into a series of calculations - Jian Xubai certainly trusts his father's judgment.

Emperor Duanhua looked at his cousin with a complicated expression, was silent for a while, and then said lightly: "The imperial grandmother often takes that evil seed to her knees and teases. I had already told the Imperial Grandmother that she would have sent someone to fetch the evil seed. ”

The two cousins then went to Mingren Palace under the banner of asking the Empress Dowager to be in peace - originally after the Empress Dowager was in better health, she wanted to give up Mingren Palace to Empress Dowager Su.

But Empress Dowager Su refused to accept anything, and insisted on taking Concubine Nuan to live in Huiyi Palace.

The Empress Dowager mentioned it a few times, but she saw that her daughter-in-law really didn't want to rob the place she was used to, so she didn't say anything.

When the palace people saw Jian Xubai turn back again, they didn't pay much attention.

The Empress Dowager has always doted on this grandson, and everyone inside and outside knows this.

Especially Jian Xubai didn't bring his wife and daughter when he came back this time, how could the Queen Mother not keep him for a meal? went to see Emperor Duanhua in a simple and vain manner, and then returned to Mingren Palace with Emperor Duanhua, and there was no more normal.

"You're here?" When the Empress Dowager saw her grandson and grandson coming in together, she hugged King Qing like no one else and smiled, "Look at this child, is he becoming more and more like the first emperor?" ”

Most of King Qing's appearance is passed on to his biological mother, Concubine Nuan, who is surprisingly beautiful. However, in the eyebrows and eyes that gradually grew, there was indeed a little shadow of the first emperor, which was also one of the reasons why Emperor Duanhua was suspicious of Jian Xubai, because Jian Xubai really responded to the words of his nephew Uncle Xiao, and he looked more like Emperor Xianjia than his own son.

"Imperial Grandmother, we have something to tell you." Emperor Duanhua looked at King Qing, he used to like this younger brother very much, although he was not the same mother, but he was not a threat, he looked good, and he was younger than his son, so why should he be stingy?

But this will look at King Qing, but the more he looks at it, the more disgusted he becomes, but he is too lazy to act as if nothing is happening like the Empress Dowager, and said bluntly, "It's important." ”

When the Empress Dowager heard this, she glanced left and right, and the palace people immediately retreated—only Yuguo remained, and she asked out loud: "Niangniang, His Royal Highness King Qing?" ”

"What does he know as a child? Keep it! The Empress Dowager glanced at King Qing, who was snuggling in her arms, playing with the pearls on her clothes, and said indifferently.

After the door of the palace was closed, the kind smile on the face of the Empress Dowager that was still a moment ago disappeared in an instant.

She put King Qing on the couch: "Yuguo! ”

Yuguo was blessed and entered the apse.

After a while, she came out with a golden basin full of water, and went to King Qing first—the Queen Mother had taken out a silver knife from the dark compartment of the child, and cut it lightly between King Qing's fingers with her own hands, and the little child felt the pain, grinned, and cried.

But at the moment no one in the temple was in the mood to coax him.

Yuguo held the basin in both hands, and under the gaze of Emperor Duanhua, he walked up to Jian Xubai: "Grandpa!" ”

Jian Xubai bit his finger without hesitation, and dripped blood into the basin - the two drops of blood were distinct, and after a while, there was still no meaning of blending!

"Ah Xu......" Emperor Duanhua's face gradually turned pale, "I ......"

As he was pondering the words he should say at this moment, another hand suddenly reached out from the basin, and the blood between his fingers was like dripping into the water!

"This is the meaning of mourning!" After Yuguo finished dripping her own blood, regardless of the blood still flowing from her fingers, she held the golden basin high and knelt in front of Emperor Duanhua - not far behind her, the Empress Dowager said with some sadness, "Yuguo's blood has never blended with the other two drops of blood, so it can be seen that the basin and water are all right!" ”

Emperor Duanhua was overwhelmed when he heard this, and shouted a little fiercely: "Imperial grandmother, how can your grandson not trust you?!" ”

This is his true words, although Emperor Duanhua thinks that the Empress Dowager prefers Jian Xubai, but Emperor Xianjia is the Empress Dowager's own flesh and blood - no matter how much the Empress Dowager favors her grandson, it is impossible to help her grandson hide his insult to his own son!

Therefore, seeing that the Empress Dowager let the jade fruit drip blood into the basin to prove her innocence, Emperor Duanhua was greatly shocked.

After all, he had just wrongly doubted his cousin, and now even his grandmother had expressed her distrust of him - how could Emperor Duanhua's mood not be worse?

"Emperor!" But the Empress Dowager didn't have the slightest intention of comforting him, but looked at him sternly, "As the old saying goes, if you don't do it, you won't stop it!" Since you have already asked Ah Xuan to confess his relatives by dropping blood to prove his innocence, then the basin and water used for inspection, of course, must also confirm that he has not done anything wrong! Otherwise, you either believe it at the moment, or you are embarrassed to bring it up because of the old face of the mourning family, or you are suspicious in your heart when you think about it afterwards - isn't this bloody confession in vain? ! ”

Her gaze fell on Jian Xubai, "When the time comes, the mustard between the brothers will not only not be eliminated because of this bloody confession, but will become more and more centrifuged!" Isn't that a good thing?! ”

Jian Xubai sighed in his heart, knowing that the Empress Dowager was actually giving herself a chance to show her loyalty, lest Emperor Duanhua not be able to end.

It's just that he was about to speak, when there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the palace gate!

The Empress Dowager frowned and raised her chin towards Yuguo: "You go out and ask, but someone is coming?" ”

Yuguo went outside through the side door, and after a while, he reported with a solemn expression: "The warm concubine is hanging from the beam!" ”

Seeing that except for the young King Qing in the hall, everyone frowned, and hurriedly said, "I was simply rescued!" ”

"It's me who wronged Ah Xu!" Emperor Duanhua's face was gloomy, and he got up and said, "But if Concubine Nuan is not afraid of sin, why should she hang the beam?!" ”

[Note] Everyone now knows that blood recognition is unscientific, but in the ancient saying, it seems that it is a way to accurately confirm blood kinship.