"Miss, where are we going to find the Blood Lotus?"

Cheng Yuan led the horse and stopped in front of the Akiba Mountain Residence.

Chu Zhixia was wearing a crow-blue robe, his hair was tied up in the style of a man, holding the drinking stream snow and staring down at the moonlight on the ground. In front of the door, a puddle of moonlight had accumulated in the puddle that had been trampled on for many years, bright as a mirror, shining in her eyes.

Her thoughtful look was a little cold, and people didn't dare to look at it more.

"Go to Chen's house." Chu Zhixia said.

Cheng Yuan was stunned for a moment, and confirmed to her: "Go to the regent?" ”

In the imperial capital, there are only two kinds of people who go to the Chen family uninvited.

One is the intricate forces that have entered the Chen family, and they come to worship the dock, full of ambition and spring breeze, indicating that they are rising step by step in the imperial capital; The other is to be cornered, come to the door to apologize for the crime with death, and change the life of the family.

It is not too much to say that the Chen family is the number one tiger and wolf den in the imperial capital.

"That's right," Chu Zhixia turned over and said, "I'll go alone." Didn't Your Majesty tell you to check on the assassins? You go to Dali Temple to investigate the case, don't stay here to attract attention. ”

Cheng Yuan refused without thinking: "No, in case something happens to you alone......"

"If something happens to me, it must be inseparable from the regent." Chu Zhixia interrupted him and said decisively, "You have to send this news out of the imperial capital and go to the clouds, so that you can live." ”

The gentleman did not stand under the dangerous wall, Cheng Yuan didn't expect that she would really have to risk herself, and she was dumbfounded.

"If I died, I didn't bring back the Blood Lotus. You send me and the sinking boat back to the clouds, and tell my brother that I am sorry for him. ”

——

Chen.

The emperor and the East Palace were assassinated, although there was no danger, but the regent still entered the palace and pretended to be a show.

When Chu Zhixia arrived at Chen's house, he blocked him at the main gate impartially. The soldiers of the Chen family drew their swords one after another, glaring angrily at this little girl who didn't know the height of the sky. The Lord Regent raised his hand to stop them, and saluted her in return.

"I heard that Miss Chu has a meritorious escort and is seriously injured, which one is this singing?" The Lord Regent looked her up and down, "I don't think you look hurt. ”

"Master Chen, let's talk, how about it?" Chu Zhixia has a bit of the humility of the younger generation, but what he called the regent was a false position in the court.

"Well, if you have the guts to come in." The regent smiled and walked into the mansion on his own.

The door of Chen's house was open, and guards in armor and knives stood silently on either side. The lanterns spread and lit all the way, but they couldn't illuminate the thick night of the house. The gate is hewn out of heavy wood, like the sharp teeth of a giant beast.

Chu Shixia calmly followed the regent in.

The two of them ordered tea around the stove in the pavilion, and the deaf and dumb maid obediently poured tea for the two of them and consciously retreated.

There are only one old and one young left in the pavilion, the gauze curtain rises and falls in the wind, and the fragrance of tea curls.

"Do you think I won't dare to kill you?" The regent stroked the porcelain cup, his expression dark.

"It's not that I don't dare, it's just that it's not worth killing me now." Chu Zhixia looked at the color of the tea in the cup, and was not surprised, "Such an important weight, but you have to make good use of it." ”

The regent observed Chu Zhixia's eyebrows and eyes by candlelight, he had only seen Chu Mingyan a few times, and his only impression was that this person was not in good health.

Chu Zhixia and Chu Mingyan are not very similar, Chu Zhixia's eyebrows and eyes are more colorful and fierce, thick and gorgeous like peonies woven from heavy brocade. But her sideways appearance and low-brow expression coincided with the weak Chu Mingyan in her memory.

The deep, restrained murderous intent is hidden in the lines that turn between the eyebrows and eyes of the two brothers and sisters.

"You came to me because you want a blood lotus?" The regent changed the subject.

"Sure enough, it's you." Chu Zhixia's eyes were a little colder.

"Of course I'm here," the Lord Regent smiled pleasantly, "haven't you already guessed?" I've been sending someone to spy on you. ”

His tone was so frank, but he was sure that Chu Zhixia knew this, and he was helpless.

Chu Zhixia only vaguely suspected at first, after all, there were very few people who needed and could afford to use blood lotus, and it was not surprising that it could not be found in the imperial capital medical hall.

But there is a medical hall that must buy a batch of blood lotus every month, and it is never sold to the public. There is only one kind of situation, and that is when someone makes a reservation, and it is a person who is either rich or noble, and he heals a person who cannot see the light.

"Even if you are a doctor, you may not have the opportunity to use the blood lotus in your life. This medicine is more effective than saving people. ”

Chu Zhixia said in detail: "You watched me, knowing that I asked Deng Mian to find the Blood Lotus, but you immediately knew that I was going to save people instead of killing people - that is because you also know the existence of Burning Heart, or rather, you raise the assassin of the Nine Shadows." ”

That's why the regent is so sensitive to the blood lotus. It was the whip with which he tamed the horse, the halter that restrained the beasts, the blade with which he drank his blood secretly.

The Nine Shadows, a rare assassin organization in the world, everyone wears a silver ghost mask, and their daughters can be exchanged for heads, and they never miss a hand.

Everyone referred to the Assassins of the Nine Shadows as "Silver-Faced Ghosts", and the Assassins could only take off the mask if they died. It is said that the mask is mixed with poison, and the moment the mask is removed, the entire face is corroded, leaving only white bones.

The face of the Assassin was not to be seen.

More than ten years ago, this organization suddenly disappeared from the rivers and lakes, and disappeared without a trace along with the hateful and terrifying "burning poison".

On the night of the robbery of the Guanyin Master, Shen Zhou encountered the remnants of the Nine Shadows.

"That's right, these assassins are really useful." The Lord Regent burst out laughing, clapped his hands, and said, "It's a pity that it's not as good as the one next to you." ”

He meant something, vaguely revealing a dangerous message.

The regent knew about the existence of the sinking boat and knew the origin of the sinking boat, so would he suspect that the assassination of Yuanjue Temple was related to the sinking boat? Even if Shen Zhou didn't leave any evidence, but with the regent's ability to buy the blood lotus of the imperial capital, what evidence did he want?

Chu Zhixia grabbed the scabbard violently and stared at him deadly, "What do you want?" ”

"Originally, I didn't think about it," the regent stretched out a finger and tapped his temple, pretending to be distressed, "Since you saved Donggong and Your Majesty in Yuanjue Temple, and took the initiative to come to the door, I would be happy to give you a chance." It's better to exchange a life for a life—"

"You killed the four princes, and I will give you the blood lotus."

Chu Zhixia's tense muscles and veins around him slowly relaxed, and he laughed angrily at his rebellious and fair "deal".

is worthy of being a regent who has his hands and eyes to the sky and controls the government.

I'm afraid that these words will spread, and no one will dare to write a memora to impeach him.

"Have you been a regent for a long time, and you really think that everyone is like you, and they are all rebellious ministers?" Chu Zhixia pressed the table, leaned over and looked directly at the pair of sharp eagle eyes, "Murdering the emperor's heir is a great crime of the Nine Clans. Aren't you afraid that I will tell Your Majesty? ”

"Do you think I haven't killed you?" The regent gave her a faint look in return and said with a smile, "I am very merciful to give you this opportunity." ”

"The fourth prince just showed his face a little in front of His Majesty, and you were so frightened." Chu Zhixia slowly stood up and looked at him condescendingly, "He has no support, what are you afraid of?" Isn't your noble grandson's position in the East Palace so secure? ”

The regent smiled silently, but the fingers holding the teacup tightened silently.

Chu Zhixia caught his small movements, and his tight heart felt a little happy.

"I'm not going to kill him, even if he might not be the one who wins in the end." Chu Zhixia's gaze was constricted into a line, as sharp as a sword cutting his throat, "But it will definitely not be you who wins." ”

The Lord Regent raised his glass and said, "We'll see." ”

——

Weiyang Palace.

Bai Ziche was lying on the beauty couch, and the bloody flesh on his back was carefully scraped off by the imperial doctor. He bit a white cloth in his mouth, his head was covered with cold sweat, and the muscles all over his body were tense.

Outside the curtains, there were children crying at the top of their throats.

"Fourth Highness, don't stretch your body so tightly!" The doctor was so anxious that he couldn't hold the medicine steadily, "The tighter the tension, the more bleeding!" ”

Bai Ziche was in a trance of pain, and the child's cry was far away and close. The curtain in front of him was suddenly lifted, and the big thick and warm hand touched his head, patted him on the shoulder and urged him to relax.

"Father?" Bai Ziche opened his mouth, and the white cloth fell straight down.

"It's me." The emperor turned his head and told the imperial doctor, "Start gently." ”

"Is the sixth brother still crying?" Bai Ziche lay on the beauty couch and asked weakly.

The emperor was silent for a while, and asked, "You are not afraid of death, but you are not afraid of death." I don't see you have any dealings with your sixth brother on weekdays, how can you go out of your way to save him? ”

Bai Ziche shook his head, his chin rubbed against the cold gold thread on the beauty's couch, "Who doesn't want to live?" The sons are also afraid of death. Just looking at the sixth brother being held by the assassin, and his body was covered in Pei Niangniang's blood, he thought of Erchen himself. ”

"A child without a mother will probably have a hard time."

Bai Ziche's last sentence was too light, like his duckweed drifting life, I couldn't tell whether it was more mercy or more resentment. He maintained that awkward position, groggy, as if he was about to fall asleep like this.

I don't know which words touched the emperor's fragile thoughts, he slowly reached out and stroked Bai Ziche's hair, showing the deep tenderness of being a father for the first time.

"I neglected you." The Emperor sighed.

Bai Ziche woke up from his hazy sleepiness and said in a panic: "Erchen didn't mean that. ”

The emperor looked at him helplessly, not knowing which words to choose, and he was a little amused.

"You have done a great job in protecting and saving your own brother, but what reward do you want?" The Emperor asked gently.

"Ziche didn't dare to ask for a reward." The wound on his back hurt so much that Bai Ziche gasped, "In terms of meritorious deeds, it should be Miss Chu's head merit." Father or the emperor should reward her first, right? ”

"Mo Xue wants to be rewarded, and you want to be rewarded." The emperor waved his hand and said, "Say, what do you want?" ”

Bai Ziche pondered for a moment and said, "Painting Academy." ”

The emperor was a little disappointed, "Gold and silver treasures, official positions, you can speak, don't worry too much." I'll give you another chance, do you still want to paint? ”

"Thank you for your father's love, and your sons only need to paint in the academy."