The Queen Mother came back from the great panic, burst into tears, and said: "I am for you, for the country of the Great Zhou!" That woman's origin is unknown, how can she be qualified to give birth to the prince of the Great Zhou, and how can her child be the prince of the Great Zhou! You've been bewitched by her! ”

The Queen Mother forced herself and said, "Your Majesty, you have many sons. Bai Huan and Bai Yu are both your sons, why do you have to miss that demon girl's son? That woman, she's a curse! ”

The Emperor burst out laughing with tears in his eyes and kept stepping back. Cheng Yuan took two steps forward in horror and worry, for fear that the emperor would not be able to lift the knife and hurt himself. But the emperor shook off Cheng Yuan's hand and slashed it down with a knife.

"Bai Huan, Bai Yu? You are wrong, they are not my sons. They have the blood of the Chen family in their bodies, they are not the descendants of my Bai family, they are the blood of your Chen family! My son, my own son has long been killed by you and by you! ”

The Queen Mother watched dumbfoundedly as the knife slashed into the table for half an inch, and her breathing almost stopped. The emperor gasped violently, the long knife trembled, and the swaying silver light flashed on the queen mother's face.

"I should have known that you wouldn't regret it." The emperor wiped the tears from his face heavily, and said coldly, "Since you want to be the daughter of the Chen family, you will no longer be the empress of the Bai family—and you will no longer be my mother." ”

The queen mother's legs were weak, and she was supported by the palace maid behind her so that she did not sit on the ground, looking at the emperor in disbelief.

"From now on, His Royal Highness Luhe shall not be ordered by the emperor, and shall not go out of the palace gate for half a step. Chen's foreign ministers, female dependents, King Qin and King Rui were not allowed to enter the palace to meet the Queen Mother. If there is a violator, it will be punished as a conspiracy and should be beheaded. ”

The Emperor looked down condescendingly at his mother, whose hair was full of hair, as if to give her one last look, and then turned away.

——

The emperor was sick.

The Queen Mother was placed under house arrest, and the news that the Queen was closed spread far and wide. The people in the government and the opposition were panicked, but fortunately, the cabinet Pei Shoufu was tough and stabilized the situation. Bai Huan, the king of Qin, was sick and did not go to court that day, and Bai Yu, the king of Rui, who had only been canonized for a short time, also rarely stopped.

Chu Zhixia picked up the corner of her skirt and stepped into Weiyang Palace, only to smell the warm incense in the hall. The bright yellow veil hung down to the ground, and the emperor's figure was half-hidden behind the veil, and it can be seen that he was barely sitting up with his back against the jade pillow, facing a painting hanging at the end of the bed.

The painting shows a silhouette leaning back from a window.

"Mo Xue is here." The Emperor beckoned to her weakly, "Come and sit." ”

Chu Zhixia sat obediently in front of the bed, following the etiquette and not looking up at the emperor. The emperor ordered someone to open the curtain to let Chu Shixia sit closer, pointed to the painting at the end of the bed, and asked, "Mo Xue, do you know who the person on the painting is?" ”

Chu Zhixia shook his head unappetly.

"She is the most loved person in my life."

This sentence is like some kind of incantation, removing the heavy armor of the emperor, revealing the softness and fragility of his fatherhood. He is no longer the supreme son of heaven, but a chagrined and remorseful father, lonely mourning his early death of his wife and children.

The emperor said lonely: "When I was young, I was controlled by my mother and uncle, and I actually felt that it was good for someone to carry the burden of a country for me, and I could live the life I wanted freely. But later I found out that this palace was full of people who were either the Queen Mother or the people of the Grand Master. Do you think that I am blind and deaf, and I don't know that everyone up and down the court calls my uncle 'regent'? ”

"I know, but I can't help it." The emperor smiled helplessly, and there was a bit of expression on his pale and sick face that looked like a sinking boat.

"This majestic palace city gathers the power, wealth, and everything that the world is fanatically pursuing. But nothing is mine. Only her, only she belongs to me. The emperor pointed to the portrait at the end of the bed and smiled sadly, "But even her, my mother, will take it with her own hands." ”

When the emperor said this, he couldn't help choking, and stretched out his hand to hide his face so that he would not lose his temper in front of Chu Zhixia.

Chu Zhixia raised his eyes to look at the emperor, his eyes involuntarily softened a little, and said, "Your Majesty is rich all over the world, and all the people in the world are your Majesty's children. If...... If the person cherished by His Majesty is fortunate to be reincarnated as a human being, no matter where she was born in the Great Zhou, His Majesty will govern her martial arts and make great efforts, and the glory of the imperial dynasty will definitely bless her with a peaceful life, and she will not have to be displaced. ”

After a long time, the emperor raised his head from his hand and stared blankly at the painting for a long time. The emperor's expression was soft and full of warmth, he laughed softly, and reached out to rub the top of Chu Zhixia's hair. Chu Zhixia could feel the touch left by his fingertips, crispy and numb.

"You're right."

The emperor sighed and said, "Mo Xue, you are a good boy. I shouldn't have agreed to them bringing you to the Imperial Capital, because I hurt you. ”

Chu Zhixia couldn't help but tremble.

It was the emperor's tears that fell on the back of her hand, and it was hot.

——

After the fire that night, half of the house was reduced to rubble.

The regent lived in a house that he had purchased many years earlier.

There is a green bamboo forest behind the house, and when the wind passes, you can hear the desolate and desolate breathing of the heavens and the earth. The bamboos and snow are only black and white in the night, like a landscape painting with faded ink for a long time.

The regent sat by the window drinking tea, his knuckles beating rhythmically against the lattice.

The lights on the cloister were dim, and the blue-gray figure stepped into the room under the guidance of the maid. The maid retreated in amusement, and the man with the cloak lifted his hood, looked at the regent, and said, "Grandfather." ”

The regent replied lightly.

"I don't know why my grandfather called me late at night?"

Bai Huan felt a little uneasy in his heart.

The news that the Empress Dowager was under house arrest and the Empress was close to being grounded made him tormented, and the emperor's avoidance made Bai Huan more and more frightened. Just today, during the day, the emperor summoned Chu Zhixia, and Bai Huan's plea to see him was once again rejected. Even Bai Yu, who has always been domineering, realized something, and rarely stayed in King Qin's mansion honestly.

"Let Xu Zhangyin tell you by himself." Said the regent.

Xu Delu turned out from behind the screen and bowed to Bai Huan respectfully. Xu Delu was also dressed in a heavy cloak, and he couldn't tell who it was when he pulled his hood, and he obviously came secretly. Bai Huan frowned slightly, he had always disliked eunuchs. What's more, Xu Delu is not treated by the emperor now, and the emperor has not summoned Xu Delu to serve for a long time, but has always been accompanied by Xu Yan of the Xuanhan Forest Academy.

"Outside the palace, I only know that His Majesty is sick, but His Royal Highness King Qin can know why His Majesty is sick?" Xu Delu turned a blind eye to Bai Huan's unrestrained disgust, and asked with a smile.

Bai Huan shook his head.

That night, Cheng Yuan, the head of the Yulin Guard, entered the palace to face the saint, saying that he had found something from the home of Deng Huan, the secretary of Dali Temple. His Majesty was furious when he saw this, drew his sword and rushed to the Queen Mother's bedroom, and put the Queen Mother under house arrest after the quarrel. The next day, His Majesty was ill. Xu Delu told the story.

"Is there anything in the house of Dali Siqing that can make His Majesty and the Queen Mother quarrel?" The more Bai Huan listened, the more frightened he became, the emperor had always respected and forbeared the queen mother to the point of weakness. And Cheng Yuan was undoubtedly under Chu Zhixia's command, which made this secret matter sound more and more like a conspiracy.

"I don't know." Xu Delu shook his head.

"Chu Zhixia, it's her again!" Bai Huan was so angry that he flipped the teacup to the ground, "I should have killed her a long time ago, and the one next to her-"

Bai Huan suddenly thought of something, stopped suddenly, and looked up at the regent tentatively. The Lord Regent shook his head at him quietly.

The thought that flashed in Bai Huan's heart was whether Chu Zhixia already knew Shen Zhou's life experience.

But if Chu Zhixia really knew, why didn't he just bring Shen Zhou to the emperor? Bai Ziche was single-handedly supported by Chu Zhixia's conspiracy and conspiracy, and he is still infinitely close to the position of the prince, but he still can't hold it in his hands. If Shen Zhou and the emperor recognize each other, and Shen Zhou obeys Chu Zhixia's words, it may not be possible for the Bai family to change their surname to Chu.

Could it be that Chu Zhixia only knew that there was such a disgraceful prince in the palace, but he didn't know that the prince was Shen Zhou?

Bai Huan's heart was full of suspicions.

Xu Delu also knowingly did not want to spy on the dumb riddles played by the ancestors and grandchildren, and then said: "After seeing Chu Zhixia, His Majesty intends to appoint King Qi as the prince. ”

Bai Huan clenched his back molars, and hard lines appeared on his cheeks.

"The eldest lady of the Chu family doesn't like our family, our family is self-aware. The King of Qi and the eldest lady of the Chu family have a deep friendship, if the King of Qi inherits the unification, our family is afraid that there will be no place to die. Xu Delu sighed and said, "Please also ask the regent and His Royal Highness the King of Qin to make a decision as soon as possible." ”

Bai Huan's heart was pierced by Xu Delu's words, and he looked at the regent as if asking for help.

The regent just looked at Xue and tasted tea, and his voice was calm, "Ah Huan, your mother is still in the palace." I miss her too. ”

Bai Huan was shocked, made up his mind, and said, "My grandson will definitely reunite my mother and grandfather." ”

——

Qi Wang's Mansion.

Bai Ziche held an umbrella in one hand and Bai Yan in the other, and slowly walked towards the door of King Qi's mansion.

Bai Yan jumped up and down like a little rabbit, and the flying snow dust drenched Sun Yan's foot. Sun Yan said with a bitter face, Your Highness Six, why don't you let the humble take you home. Bai Yan was pleased by the word home, but he still made a grimace with his teeth and claws, and said crisply I don't want it. Bai Ziche knocked on the back of his head, and Bai Yan settled down and stuck out his tongue at Sun Yan.

"Third brother?" Bai Yan was the first to see Bai Yu standing at the door of King Qi's mansion, a little surprised and a little scared, and subconsciously grabbed Bai Ziche's hand.

Bai Ziche quietly pushed Bai Yan into Sun Yan's hand, and asked politely: "The third brother is a rare guest, why did you remember to come to me today?" ”

Bai Yu and Bai Ziche were born on the same day, the same month, the same year, but they were half a head shorter than Bai Ziche, and their baby faces were innocent and childish. Even if Bai Yu was wearing a heavy black coat, he didn't have half a majestic temperament, but was like a child stealing adult clothes.

"I have something to tell you." Bai Yu's whole body was shrouded in the big cloud, and he said expressionlessly, "You come here." ”

Bai Ziche glanced at his hand hidden in the big cloud, and vaguely guessed what he had in his hand, but he still ignored Sun Yan's reminder to take two steps forward. Bai Yu's face changed instantly, and he slammed Bai Ziche in the abdomen with something in his hand.

A string of blood bloomed in the snow.

"Fourth brother!" Bai Yan screamed in surprise and rushed forward regardless of Sun Yan's shackles.

Sun Yan reacted faster, twisted Bai Yu's wrist and folded it behind him, pressing him to his knees on the snow. Bai Ziche looked at the wound that almost cut half of his palm, comforted Bai Yan lightly, and wrapped the wound with a handkerchief.

"You!" Bai Yu writhed and struggled under Sun Yan's hands, and scolded, "My brother is the eldest son, and he is the prince!" How can you deserve to fight with him! You and Chu Shixia succeeded, aren't you happy? I'll kill you sooner or later! ”

"The wind was too strong, and the third brother's head was blown into confusion." Bai Ziche said calmly, "Sun Yan, find Yu Linwei to send the third brother home." ”

After that, Bai Ziche walked into the Qi Wang's mansion with his other hand leading the teary-eyed Bai Yan.

——

"Your Highness is injured?" Chu Zhixia was quite surprised when he saw Bai Ziche's cold sweaty face and blood-dripping palm.

"It's all the third brother, he clearly wants to kill! He's so bad! Bai Yan preemptively sued, wiped his tears and called Chuiyun to find a doctor.

"It's just a small injury." Bai Ziche said strongly.

"The snow is too big, and I'm afraid it's too late to go to the doctor now. Let me do it. Chu Shixia said.

Chu Zhixia ordered the maid to take a thin thread and a needle, and carefully burned the needle with a flame until it was shiny and white, and then submerged it in the sake to cool. Chu Zhixia's movement of threading the needle and thread was very skillful, she held Bai Ziche's hand and stitched the wound carefully. Bai Ziche was so painful that cold sweat broke out layer after layer, but Chu Zhixia was always calm.

"Alright." Chu Zhixia put away the bloodstained needle and thread and said, "It's better to call a doctor to take a look, it won't be good if the knife is poisonous." ”

Bai Ziche instructed Blowing Cloud to find a doctor who was proficient in toxicology, and smiled at Chu Zhixia Qiangyan, "I didn't expect you to do this." ”

"If you wait for a military doctor for everything on the battlefield, you don't know how many times you have died." Chu Zhixia smiled and didn't care much.

"What I know is that you have taken Gyeongju," Bai Ziche teased, "Those who don't know think that you have experienced a hundred battles." ”

Chu Zhixia smiled slightly, and said with a straight face: "Your Highness, there is news from the cabinet that Your Majesty intends to appoint you as the prince." I will send someone to strengthen the guard of the Qi Palace, and His Royal Highness must be careful before the ancestor worship ceremony is held. ”

Bai Ziche nodded, dismissed everyone, looked at Fang Liang and asked, "Is Shen Zhou here?" ”

Chu Zhixia shook his head, "I asked him to go to the ghost market to buy news." ”

Bai Ziche hesitated and asked, "Don't you really plan to let him recognize His Majesty?" ”

Chu Shixia was silent for a moment and said, "Your Highness, you also understand in your heart. If Shen Zhou's life experience is exposed, he will be the prince who is qualified to compete for the position of the East Palace, how will the covenant between you and me be counted at that time, and how should you and I deal with ourselves? Even though my heart is the same, but the world is impermanent, can Your Highness really never have suspicions? ”

Bai Ziche lowered his eyes slightly and said, "I believe you." ”

"I also have my own selfishness, and I don't want to let Shen Zhou stay here. His Royal Highness grew up in the palace and knows what life in the palace is like. As long as I'm short-sighted, I don't want to sink the boat and suffer a little more. I just want to take him back to the clouds and run the horse under the snow. ”

Chu Zhixia smashed a tea cup, cut his fingers with fragments, smeared them on his lips, and got up to bow to Bai Ziche, "The Mo Xue of the Chu clan in the clouds swears by the merits and honors of the ancestors and ancestors, the Chu clan is a minister for all eternity, and the covenant between you and me will not be easy for eternity." If there is a disobedience, my relatives and friends will be lost, and I will not die well. ”

Bai Ziche was slightly moved, stretched out his bloodless hand to help her up, and said, "I, Bai Ziche, swear by my mother's underground heroic spirit and everything I have, and I will definitely abide by the promise of you and me." If I disobey, I will die an early death, and my children will be cut off, and I will not die a good death. ”

"Why didn't the Manchu civil and military say a word?"