Tai Hao wanted to get an in-depth understanding of the situation in the palace through NVC, so he asked softly: "Brother NVC, do you know which concubine this Royal Highness the Crown Prince was born to?" ”

NVC looked around cautiously, and then took Taihao to a more hidden corner. He replied in a low voice, "Lord Taihao, this Royal Highness the Crown Prince has just been born for three months. It is said that the emperor took many pills for him, and even damaged his body. The prince's biological mother is Concubine Xiao. ”

Taihao frowned: "Then do you know where the former concubine Niangniang is now?" ”

NVC shook his head helplessly: "Regarding the affairs of the harem, the subordinates know very little, and they don't know where the concubine is. ”

Tai Hao nodded slowly, then smiled and said, "Brother NVC, please tell the other brothers later, stay free, come to my house for a drink." My brothers and I haven't seen each other for a long time, and we must get together. ”

NVC smiled heartily: "My subordinates must convey your meaning to them." They haven't seen each other for many years, and they must miss Lord Taihao very much, and they are eager to talk about the old love. ”

Tai Hao immediately returned to his mansion, and when Jing Ye saw this, he hurriedly greeted him, holding a letter in his hand. He asked with concern, "Lord Taihao, Sister Yingyu has already left?" ”

Taihao's eyes trembled slightly, and there was a hint of imperceptible loss in his tone: "Where did she go?" Before the words fell, he had already taken the letter from Jing Ye's hand, eager to find the answer in it.

Tai Hao slowly unfolded the letterhead, his eyes wandering between the lines. The letter reads: "Senior brother, now that you have Miss Coriander by your side, the worries in my heart have been dissipated. I'm going to go to my sister, and I hope you won't look for me again. Senior sister baby jade. ”

Tai Hao gently folded the letterhead and sighed lightly: "Since she chose to leave, then let's leave." Yingyu has lived in the capital for so long, and now it's time to pursue her own world. ”

Jing Ye replied: "There are several officials from the DPRK and China visiting today, and I told them that you have gone to the Yamen to handle official business, and they left. ”

Tai Hao asked curiously: "What kind of officials are they?" ”

Jing Ye listed them one by one: "First of all, Prime Minister Mao Jing. ”

Tai Hao responded lightly: "I have already met Prime Minister Maojing, who else?" ”

Jing Ye continued: "There are also General Nanzhu, Lord Yuzhen, and Imperial Doctor Ling Yi. The last visitor claimed to be Princess Changxiang's subordinate Suo Rui. ”

Tai Hao pondered for a moment and said, "I only returned to the capital yesterday, and today they came to look for it. Did they tell me what happened? ”

Jing Ye replied: "They didn't say anything in detail, they only said that they would visit another day." ”

Tai Hao cautiously explained: "If I am not in the house in the future, if they come to look for me, you will ask them if they are in a hurry." If there is a real emergency, I will go to them myself. ”

Jing Ye replied respectfully: "Obey!" ”

Taihao stepped into the study and sandwiched Yingyu's letter in a book. He felt that even if he returned to Thousand Winds City, things would not be simple. The emperor's serious illness will undoubtedly cause another round of turmoil in the imperial court.

In the afternoon, after lunch, Jing Ye hurriedly came to report: "Lord Ling Yi, the Imperial Doctor, is visiting again." ”

Tai Hao ordered: "Please wait in the front hall." ”

Jing Ye took the order and left, while Tai Hao walked slowly to the front hall, waiting for the visitors. Soon, Jing Ye accompanied Ling Yi in.

Tai Hao stood up to greet him and said with a smile: "Lord Ling Yi, a young man in the past, is now a doctor of imperial history, congratulations!" ”

Ling Yi responded: "Taihao City Lord, I haven't seen you for many years, don't come unharmed!" ”

Taihao warmly entertained: "Lord Ling Yi, after a long time, you are still the same!" You may be seated, you may be seated. ”

Ling Yi said with emotion: "Taihao City Lord, when you fought fiercely against the Japanese on the southeast coast, you were extremely brave and made us admire. Now that I have heard that the lord of Taihao City has returned to Beijing as an official, I have come to visit him before. ”

Tai Hao asked curiously: "Lord Ling Yi, I don't know if there is anything important that you need my assistance in coming this time?" ”

Ling Yi's expression was solemn: "I came to visit this morning, and when I learned that the Taihao City Lord had gone to the Yamen, I rushed to the Yamen, but I didn't expect to be told that you had gone to the palace." In desperation, I had to visit again in the afternoon. Presumably, the city lord of Taihao has heard the news that the emperor is seriously ill, right? ”

Tai Hao's face changed slightly, but his tone was still firm: "The emperor is old, and minor illnesses are inevitable. As courtiers, we should have full confidence in the emperor and believe that he can survive this crisis. ”

Ling Yi sighed: "I hope so." But this time the situation is really not optimistic. Taihao City Lord, have you ever wondered why the emperor summoned you back to the capital at this time? ”

Tai Hao pondered for a moment: "It is said to be thanks to Mr. Yanfang's deathbed letter." ”

Ling Yi shook his head: "I heard that it is actually the emperor's will. In recent days, the emperor has summoned new officials one after another, and I suspect that he is choosing a regent for the crown prince Xuanxin. ”

Tai Hao sighed lightly: "I was able to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince today, but he is only three months old......

Ling Yi said helplessly: "However, there is only one son under the emperor's knees. ”

A trace of doubt flashed in Taihao's eyes: "Lord Ling Yi, about the previous concubine Niangniang, do you know where she is now?" ”

Ling Yi's tone was slightly heavy: "Guifei Niangniang? There were rumors in the palace that she had died of a cold two years ago. ”

"What?" Taihao was shocked by a lightning strike. He couldn't accept the fact that Mao Ru had died, which was undoubtedly a huge blow to him.

Ling Yi continued: "It is reported that the noble concubine Niangniang was sent to the cold palace for offending the emperor, and was physically and mentally traumatized, and then unfortunately contracted the wind and cold, and passed away soon. ”

Taihao eagerly asked, "What about the child in her womb?" ”

Ling Yi replied gloomily: "I heard that I couldn't save it and had a miscarriage." ”

Taihao frowned: "Where did all this news come from?" Is it credible? ”

Ling Yi said: "I heard it from a few fathers-in-law in the palace. Taihao City Lord, why are you so concerned about these issues? ”

With a touch of sadness, Tai Hao said softly: "We met when we were young. ”

He was silent for a moment and asked, "Lord Ling Yi, are there any other matters today?" ”

Ling Yi said: "It's mainly about the succession to the throne. Actually, I was entrusted ......."

After Taihao learned of Mao Ru's death, he was immersed in grief in his heart, and he had no intention of caring about the affairs of the court. He hurriedly interrupted Ling Yi's words and said softly: "Lord Ling Yi, I feel a little tired today, about the affairs of the court, we will discuss it another day." ”

Seeing this, Ling Yi had to nod: "Since this is the case, the Taihao City Lord will recuperate." I'll visit again another day. ”

After Lord Ling Yi left, Tai Hao sat alone in front of the bookcase, falling into deep thought. His thoughts drifted back to the past, and the relationship with Mao Ru surfaced in his memory, and he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.

At that time, Taihao was just a teenager and met Mao Ru in Pinghe City. Their fates were tightly entangled at that time, and they were forced to marry. This sudden marriage made the two young hearts closely interdependent, and also made them have a different marriage.

However, the happy days did not last long. Taihao was taken captive by Kozha Demba and forced to leave Maoru and go to Tibet. The parting at that moment seemed to be a trick of fate, which made them suffer. Mao Ru waited hard, but couldn't know Taihao's life and death.

Although Taihao felt guilty about the son he had never met, he always regarded Mao Ru as the most precious woman in his heart. That son has become an inseparable emotional bond between him and Mao Ru.

As the years go by, Taihao's heart always retains the shadow of Maoru. Whenever night fell, he would silently stare into the distance, looking forward to seeing Mao Ru again. He knew that that love affair was the best memory of his life, and it was also a past that he would never forget.

At this time, Jing Ye walked slowly and asked with concern, "Lord Taihao, you seem to have something on your mind, did something happen?" ”

Taihao shook his head lightly: "I just remembered some of the past." ”

However, the sadness and doubts brought by those past events have not dissipated. Lord Ling Yi's words were just hearsay. He needs to personally confirm whether Mao Ru has really passed away. Among the royal relatives that Taihao knows, it seems that only Princess Sangya knows the truth. However, Princess Sangya resides in the palace and he has no direct contact.

So, Taihao made a decision. He needed to go to the Horse Mansion to visit Shaoling. Despite their political differences, he felt the need to visit his old friend at this critical juncture.

He turned to Jing Ye and asked, "Jing Ye, regarding the Horse Mansion, can the court officials enter and leave at will?" ”

Jing Ye said: "As far as I know, since Shaoling Horse was removed from all other positions, officials in the DPRK and China rarely set foot in the Horse Mansion, and it seems that they are deliberately avoiding it. ”

A hint of firmness flashed in Taihao's eyes: "Prepare two jars of good wine, and follow me to the Horse Mansion." ”

Jing Ye asked puzzledly, "Lord Taihao, why do you insist on going to the Horse Mansion?" ”

Tai Hao replied affectionately: "I want to visit an old friend, you just need to follow me, no need to ask." ”

Subsequently, Jing Ye followed Taihao's instructions and followed him with two jars of fine wine and came to the door of the Horse Mansion. Outside the Horse Mansion, several guards looked solemn and guarded. When Taihao tried to enter, he was stopped by one of the guards.

The guard asked solemnly, "Who is here?" What do I need to enter the Pony Mansion? ”

Tai Hao replied calmly: "This official is Tai Hao, the new city lord of Thousand Winds City, and he has come to visit the Shaoling Concubine. ”

After hearing this, the guard thought for a moment: "It turned out to be the Lord of Taihao City. However, the imperial court had a clear rule that all officials who wanted to enter the palace were not allowed to bring retinues and gifts. Therefore......"

Tai Hao smiled slightly, turned to Jing Ye and said, "In that case, Jing Ye, you can return to the mansion with these two jars of wine." I'll just go in myself. ”

Jing Ye responded respectfully: "Yes!" Then he departed with the wine.

When Tai Hao stepped into the Horse Mansion, the first thing that caught his eye was an elegant courtyard view. The bluestone-paved path exudes a simple and solemn atmosphere, which seems to tell the story of the years. Surrounded by a cloister, several pots of rare orchids sway gently in the breeze, exuding a faint, soothing aroma.

In the center of the courtyard, a rockery stands with mountains and rocks, and the water flows down to form a small clear pool. Next to the rockery, a pool of clear water is like a mirror, reflecting the sky and the surrounding scenery. Fish swim freely in the water, occasionally jumping out of the water, stirring up a circle of ripples. Next to the pond, several ancient willows hang low, and the branches and leaves gently brush the water, adding a bit of elegance and tranquility to this tranquil scene.

Taihao indulged in this beautiful scenery, walked slowly, and entered a slightly narrower courtyard. In the corner, a young man is tied to a stool, looking embarrassed. A strong man next to him held a leather whip with a hideous face, and swung at him from time to time, each whipping accompanied by a groan of pain. From time to time, the young man shouted, "Spare your life! Spare your life! His voice was filled with endless desperation and pleading.

At this time, a family member walked over, looked at Taihao, frowned and asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" ”

Tai Hao replied without humility or arrogance: "I am Tai Hao, the city lord of Thousand Winds City, and I have come to meet the young spirit concubine. ”

Jia Ding frowned: "Thousand Winds City Lord? Come with me. He turned and walked towards the courtyard, followed by Tai Hao, and he couldn't help but feel a little more sympathy and doubt for the suffering young man.