At the emperor's birthday celebration, Taihao was named the commander of the bandit army, and this news pierced the night sky like a bolt of lightning, making the hearts of the officials present surge. However, on this celebratory occasion, there are some officials with evil intentions.

Before Taihao could express his gratitude to the emperor, Zi Cai had already glanced at a minister next to him. The minister immediately stood up and saluted the emperor: "Your Majesty, Weichen thinks that Lord Taihao has been wandering for many years, and he has finally returned to the capital today, and such an important task should not be entrusted to him. ”

Xuan Cheng was slightly stunned, and then asked, "Oh? Why is Tong Guang Aiqing so sympathetic to Taihao Aiqing? There was a hint of doubt and curiosity in his voice, as if he wanted to find out the secret hidden in the minister's heart.

Tai Hao later learned that this minister's name was Qi Guang, and he was now the city lord of Thousand Winds City, and he was an official of the Shaoling Horse camp like Zi Cai.

Qi Guang knelt down and kowtowed: "Although Weichen has never known Lord Taihao, he has also heard some deeds of Lord Taihao. Now that Lord Taihao has finally returned to the capital after many years away, His Majesty has entrusted him with such an important task of suppressing bandits, which is a bit unfair. If Your Majesty trusts Wechen, you might as well leave the matter of suppressing bandits in the south to Wechen. ”

All the officials present knew that the southern bandits had always been a major problem for Emperor Xuancheng, and whoever could lead the troops to complete this matter would make a contribution to the Eastern Empire. However, because bandits in the south are widely distributed and complex, they often re-emerge soon after being eradicated, and it is extremely difficult to find them, not to mention the suppression of bandits. Now, Tai Hao presented this topographic map of the distribution of bandits to the emperor, which reduced the difficulty of suppressing bandits by more than half. How can this opportunity to compete for the top work be easily given to Taihao?

Xuan Cheng naturally also saw Qi Guang's thoughts, he pondered for a moment, and chuckled: "The Tibetan envoy has not yet taken his seat, why did I mention the matter of suppressing bandits." Today is my birthday, don't talk about political affairs, you all sit down, and talk about this matter in the morning three days later. ”

After bowing to the emperor, Taihao returned to his seat, and a court maid arranged a seat for Kozha Demba, and he sat at the end of the civil official's seat.

At this time, Zicai suddenly got up and suggested to the emperor: "Your Majesty, today is your birthday, why don't you see the queen mother present, it stands to reason that the queen mother and the beauties of the harem should appear at this time as usual to meet with the subjects, so as to show the prosperity of our Eastern Empire." ”

Xuan Cheng said: "The queen and the concubine are already on the way to Huaque Tower, and they will toast the subjects to show the mother of the world." ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw that surrounded by a group of palace maids, the queen mother came to the celebration, and all the subjects hurriedly knelt down and shouted Chitose. Prince Xuanbao greeted the queen and saluted: "The child sees the queen mother!" ”

The queen was dressed in a dazzling red phoenix robe, which was embroidered with intricate and delicate patterns and patterns, like a flowing picture. The robe is loose and elegant, and the skirt mops the floor, like a fairy descending into the mortal world, giving people a dignified and elegant temperament. A gold girdle is tied around his waist, and countless gems and jewels are set on it, shining like stars shining in the night sky. On the top of the queen's head, she wears a gorgeous phoenix crown, which is decorated with various magnificent jewels and gemstones, and has a unique shape, as if the phoenix is about to fly. There are also several long hairpins inserted on the phoenix crown to fix the queen's hair, make the hairstyle more neat and beautiful, and show the royal dignity.

She said to Xuanbao: "Bao'er is exempt! ”

With the figure of the queen, the concubine Niangniang walked gracefully with light steps. She wore a delicate red dress with a slender and slim skirt that showed off the graceful curves of the female figure. The skirt design is unique, with a gorgeous trim style, which makes the chaise breeze's steps lighter and more elegant. Three thousand green silk is tied up by a hairband, a butterfly hairpin is inserted on the head, and a wisp of green silk hangs on the chest, like a picture scroll. The vermilion lip gloss and the green eyeshadow complement each other, and the faint smudge of the blush accentuates their delicate features and soft faces. These makeup looks are undoubtedly masterpieces created by the royal artists, elevating the beauty of the concubine to a new level. Their beauty is like a blooming flower, attracting the gaze of countless eyes, which is intoxicating.

Taihao stared at the concubine Niangniang, and an inexplicable shock surged in her heart. Even though she was well-dressed, Taihao recognized her at a glance, it was Mao Ru. However, Mao Ru has only one brother and no sisters, so Taihao is sure that she is Mao Ru. He couldn't help but wonder, why did Mao Ru appear in this place?

At this moment, Taihao saw Zi Cai smiling sinisterly at him, and he immediately understood everything. It turned out that Zi Cai already knew the true identity of the concubine. He remembered again when he had met Onigen in Cloak Mountain...... It's Wan Cai, Wan Cai revealed that his sister is now in the palace. It seems that Wancai also knows that Mao Ru has become a concubine.

In addition, during the day today, Canggu conveyed Mr. Yeonkata's words to Taihao: "At the emperor's birthday celebration tonight, no matter what happens, don't act rashly. Taihao's heart was tight, Mao Ru's appearance must have something to do with it, Mr. Yanfang was afraid that he would see his wife become the emperor's concubine, and he couldn't bear it for a while and made a big celebration. He couldn't help but glance at Mr. Yan Fang, only to see him sitting across from him, shaking his head slightly, and reminding him not to be impulsive again.

Although Taihao was entangled in his heart, he knew that he must not act recklessly here. He forced himself to remain calm and not to act rashly.

After the queen and the concubine saluted the emperor, they sat beside him. Xuan Cheng announced loudly: "Empress, concubine, your position symbolizes the prestige of my Eastern Empire, today please also present a glass of wine to your subjects!" ”

The maid respectfully handed over two bronze gilt wine glasses, and the queen did not hesitate to pick up one of them. However, the concubine did not serve the wine, she replied respectfully to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the concubine is slightly unwell today, and the imperial doctor came to diagnose and inform the concubine that she is pregnant, so it is not appropriate to drink alcohol today." ”

Hearing that the concubine announced that she was pregnant, the emperor couldn't help but be overjoyed, and he happily said to the ministers: "Everyone, Aiqing, today can be described as a happy event, not only my birthday, but also the concubine is pregnant with my dragon seed, it is really happy!" ”

After hearing the news, the queen slowly walked to the concubine and said softly: "Congratulations sister, you have been in the palace for more than ten years, and you finally conceived a dragon seed for the emperor." ”

When the ministers heard this, they raised their glasses and stood up one after another to express their sincere congratulations to the emperor. However, only Taihao sat still, and his heart was turbulent. He had a lot of thoughts, and Mao Ru's betrayal made his heart cut like a knife. In order to chase power and wealth, she stepped into the palace, turned into a concubine, and was pregnant with the emperor's dragon seed. For a while, Taihao's heart was chaotic and he didn't know how to deal with it.

Immediately, the queen stood, her gaze gently but firmly sweeping over the faces of each of her subjects. Her voice was like a spring breeze, soft and powerful: "Today is the emperor's birthday ceremony, and our subjects gather together to celebrate together. As the mother of a country, on behalf of the emperor, I would like to offer my deepest respect and gratitude to all the courtiers and people. Thank you for your hard work and loyalty to the country, your hard work is the cornerstone of the country's prosperity and the solid support of our emperor's rule. May we work together to create a brilliant tomorrow with wisdom and courage! ”

The ministers stood up in unison again, and their voices were as turbulent as waves: "Long live my emperor, long live, queen mother, thousand years old, thousand years old!" ”

This time, Tai Hao also got up from his seat like a ghost and finished his toast to the queen. Then, he deliberately waited for the ministers to sit down before he slowly returned to his seat. In this way, the sights of Taihao and the concubine met unexpectedly, and they converged like lightning and flint. Among the many faces, the concubine caught Taihao at a glance, and at that moment, her heartbeat seemed to stop, and cold sweat rolled down her back. An indescribable emotion welled up in her heart, shock, doubt, and deep fear, like seeing the snow in summer, freezing people's hearts.

Xuan Cheng felt a subtle change in the concubine's face, like a lotus flower about to wither, tired and weak. He frowned lightly and looked at her deeply, and that glance was like a thousand-year-old pool, unsettling.

He said softly: "Looking at the face of the concubine, she must be tired, go back to the palace and rest!" His words, like a spring breeze blowing across a lake, were gentle and comforting.

Several palace maids respectfully stepped forward, ready to help the concubine back to her palace. Their steps are light and respectful, as if they are caring for a peony that is about to wither.

The concubine raised her head lightly and glanced at the emperor, which was full of deep meaning. She smiled slightly, as if to say, "The concubine is indeed a little tired, thank you for the emperor's concern." Then she turned around gently, and with the help of the maid, she went back to her palace.

Emperor Xuancheng's birthday celebration lasted until midnight under the starry night sky. The subjects dispersed with great respect and blessings, leaving only a peaceful atmosphere, as if time had stood still in this tranquility.

Tai Hao stepped out of Huaque Tower, and a palace maid suddenly appeared in front of him, gently pulled his arm, and led him into a dark corridor. She said softly: "Lord Taihao, the concubine is invited." ”

When Tai Hao heard that Mao Ru wanted to see her, he asked eagerly, "Where is she?" ”

"Lord Taihao, please come with me." The maid replied respectfully, then removed a bronze lantern from the hook and lit the wick to illuminate the path in front of her.

Taihao followed the palace maid and walked through the winding corridors, as if stepping into a mysterious labyrinth. The stone walls of the corridor, under the reflection of the palace lamps, bloom with an ancient and mysterious texture, as if the years are telling countless stories. At this moment, a nervous emotion surged in Taihao's heart, and he suddenly fell into confusion, not knowing how to speak the first sentence when facing Mao Ru again after many years, and what kind of first sentence to tell her.

Eventually, they came to a plain-looking palace, which did not look like a main hall, but a quiet side hall. The grand door is inlaid with a pair of dragon-shaped motifs that sparkle with silver light, exuding an air of mystery and solemnity. The palace maid stopped, leaned over and said, "Lord Taihao, the noble concubine is inside." ”

Taihao took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A strange fragrance comes to the face, fills the air, and makes people's hearts ripple. The candlelight in the room is like a sea, reflecting the prosperity of the room. On the flowery bed, a woman sat quietly, and that was the concubine.

Taihao saw that the beauty of Maoru at this moment was as soft and mysterious as the moonlight. Her eyes, as deep as the night sky, shimmered with a mesmerizing light. She looked at Taihao with a smile, and that smile seemed to melt all the frost.

"Taihao, you're here." Her voice was as soft as the wind, but full of power.

Tai Hao was slightly stunned, as if looking at her in confusion, with complicated emotions flashing in his eyes. A thousand words surged up in his heart, but he couldn't seem to speak. This former lady, who had accompanied him through an unforgettable time, was now reunited here, but he found that he had lost the ability to communicate with her.

Mao Ru looked at him with a smile, and her bright eyes revealed a deep expectation. She clearly knew that Taihao must have a lot of things to say in her heart, but she might not know how to speak. So, she watched him quietly, waiting for his response.

Tai Hao shook his head silently, and then slowly sat down on a round stool next to the bed. He looked at the familiar and beautiful face of the concubine, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart. He opened his mouth and said, "Mao Ru...... You okay? ”